By Juan Samuel Santana Chávez

Portugal's national team couldn't start the 2026 World Cup with a win after drawing 1-1 against the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the match was marked by a historic event: Cristiano Ronaldo became the first footballer to play in six different World Cup editions. The 41-year-old Portuguese forward matched the all-time record for most World Cup appearances by playing in his sixth World Cup with Portugal, a mark he shares with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.

Before the 2026 edition, Ronaldo shared the record of five World Cup appearances with players like Antonio Carbajal, Rafael Márquez, Lothar Matthäus, Andrés Guardado, and Lionel Messi. Furthermore, the Portuguese captain was already the only player in history to have scored at least one goal in five consecutive World Cups, a record he will seek to extend during the current global tournament.

Throughout his World Cup career, Cristiano Ronaldo has played 22 matches and scored eight goals. His best collective performance was in Germany 2006, when Portugal reached the semifinals and finished in fourth place. Although victory didn't accompany his team at the start of the tournament, the Al-Nassr attacker once again wrote his name in the history of international football by becoming the first player to reach the milestone of six World Cup appearances.