The man who made breaking records a routine

Today, Roberto Martínez announced the 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. Among the names, one in particular brought a smile to the footballing world – Cristiano Ronaldo.

Winner of five Ballon d’Or awards, the legendary striker has always been synonymous with records. And this time, even before a ball has been kicked, he is already making history: this will be his sixth World Cup, a feat that only Lionel Messi – his eternal rival, champion in 2022 – can also claim. Eight other players have played in five editions, but reaching the sixth is a feat reserved solely for these two giants.

In terms of matches played, Messi still leads the way with 26 – the tournament’s all-time record. The winner of eight Ballon d’Or awards is followed by Lothar Matthäus with 25, Miroslav Klose with 24 and Paolo Maldini with 23. Ronaldo, with 22, occupies fifth place on the list – but is by far the Portuguese player with the most World Cup appearances, in a category where Pepe and Simão share second place with 11 each.

Ronaldo’s figures for the Portuguese national team are in a league of their own. As of May 2026, he has played 226 matches – João Moutinho, in second place, has 146 – and scored 143 goals, three times more than Pauleta, second on the list with 47.

In the World Cup specifically, Ronaldo has found the net eight times in 22 matches. He is just one goal away from equalling Eusébio, who scored nine in a single, unforgettable campaign – that of 1966, when Portugal finished third, the best result in their history at the tournament. Sixty years on, Ronaldo has the chance to surpass the legend and, who knows, go far beyond.

The World Cups that shaped Ronaldo

His World Cup journey is a story of brilliance, pain and perseverance.

He made his tournament debut in 2006, aged 21, already carrying the weight of having enchanted the world at Euro 2004. He became Portugal’s youngest goalscorer at a World Cup, but the team lost to France in the semi-finals. That fourth-place finish – the best of the Ronaldo era – has never been equalled.

In 2010, Portugal were knocked out by Spain in the round of 16 – the same Spain that would lift the trophy weeks later.

In 2014, another early exit, this time in the group stage.

In 2018, Portugal lost to Uruguay in the round of 16. Yet even so, Ronaldo found room to make history: he became the oldest player to score a hat-trick at a World Cup, in an epic 3-3 draw against Spain, and surpassed Ferenc Puskás’s record as the all-time leading European goalscorer.

And in 2022, he wrote yet another unprecedented chapter – becoming the first player in history to score in five different World Cups. Portugal reached the quarter-finals, but were held up by an inspired Morocco, the tournament’s big underdog. The image of Ronaldo leaving the pitch in tears, inconsolable, remains etched in the memory of those who watch football with their hearts.

The trophy that is still missing

Over more than two decades, he has built an immense legacy for Portugal: the Nations League in 2019 and again in 2025, and the Euro title in 2016 – the first major international trophy in the country’s history. But the World Cup, the only trophy still missing from his collection, continues to elude him.

This year, he will arrive at the tournament as Portugal’s oldest player at a World Cup, surpassing Pepe, who was 39 in 2022. Another automatic record. Another figure for the list.

But what Ronaldo is chasing in 2026 goes beyond any statistic – it is to win Portugal’s first-ever World Cup and dispel once and for all any doubt about his place among the all-time greats.

He won’t be alone in this mission. Martínez has assembled a squad brimming with talent, with Ballon d’Or nominees spread across every position – Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, João Cancelo, João Neves, Nuno Gomes, Rafael Leão, Rúben Dias, Vitinha and João Félix, who is also Ronaldo’s teammate at Al-Nassr.

The opening match will be against DR Congo on 17 June.

Only time will tell what lies in store for this Portugal side. But one thing is certain – the world will be watching.

Portugal’s World Cup squad:

Goalkeepers

  • Diogo Costa (Porto)

  • José Sá (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

  • Ricardo Velho (Genclerbirligi Ankara)

  • Rui Silva (Sporting CP)

Defenders

  • Diogo Dalot (Manchester United)

  • Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting CP)

  • João Cancelo (Barcelona)

  • Matheus Nunes (Manchester City)

  • Nélson Semedo (Fenerbahçe)

  • Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)

  • Renato Veiga (Villarreal)

  • Rúben Dias (Manchester City)

  • Tomás Araújo (Benfica)

Midfielders

  • Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

  • Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

  • João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain)

  • Rúben Neves (Al-Hilal)

  • Samuel Costa (Mallorca)

  • Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards

  • Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr)

  • Francisco Conceição (Juventus)

  • Francisco Trincão (Sporting CP)

  • Gonçalo Guedes (Real Sociedad)

  • Gonçalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain)

  • João Félix (Al-Nassr)

  • Pedro Neto (Chelsea)

  • Rafael Leão (AC Milan)