Cristiano Ronaldo’s Final World Cup Run May Begin in 2026

Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, is still playing in Saudi Arabia and using that environment to keep himself fit for the biggest stage of all, the World Cup. After Portugal’s painful quarterfinal exit against Morocco in 2022, he did not slow down. Instead, he kept pursuing two major goals: reaching 1,000 career goals, a mark he currently stands at 973, and winning the one major title missing from his trophy collection.

The article notes that Ronaldo has already won league titles and cups in England, Spain and Italy, has lifted the Champions League five times, and is the competition’s all-time top scorer and assist provider. With Portugal, he won Euro 2016 and the Nations League. He is also the all-time top scorer in men’s international football and the highest goalscorer in history overall.

The piece argues that his long rivalry with Lionel Messi pushed both players to extraordinary levels, and that neither has fully stepped away because of that competitive drive. Messi, like Ronaldo, is expected to appear at his sixth World Cup. Portugal, meanwhile, will play in its ninth World Cup and has enough talent to contend, with names such as Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendes, Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leao, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva and Joao Felix.

Portugal was drawn into a relatively manageable group against Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia, which could help it build momentum before the knockout rounds. The article says the 2026 World Cup will probably be Ronaldo’s last dance in a major international tournament, and asks whether it will end with tears of joy. Portugal begins its path toward the title on Wednesday.