Cristiano Ronaldo (41, Al-Nassr), who made his World Cup debut in Germany in 2006, will play in the World Cup again this year, two decades later.
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez announced the 27-man final squad for the 2026 North American World Cup on Wednesday, including Ronaldo, who was born in February 1985. It marks the first-ever record of six World Cup appearances.
Ronaldo has played in the 2006 Germany, 2010 South Africa, 2014 Brazil, 2018 Russia, and 2022 Qatar World Cups. He holds records for five consecutive appearances and scoring in five consecutive tournaments (8 goals in 22 matches). With his appearance in this year's tournament, he extends his consecutive appearance streak to six and will also challenge for scoring in six consecutive tournaments. Ronaldo holds Portugal's all-time records for most A-match appearances and most goals (143 goals in 226 matches), and has been playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia's Pro League since January 2023.
To date, six players have appeared in five World Cups: Ronaldo, Lionel Messi (Argentina), Andres Guardado, Antonio Carbajal, Rafael Marquez (all Mexico), and Lothar Matthaus (Germany). Although Argentina has yet to announce its final roster, Messi is highly likely to be included, putting him alongside Ronaldo in setting the record for six consecutive appearances.
Portugal will face the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia in Group K of the North American World Cup group stage. Playing alongside far younger forwards such as Goncalo Ramos (PSG) and Rafael Leao (AC Milan), Ronaldo will chase his first career title in what is likely to be his final World Cup.
