Did Ronaldo Really Grow 5 Centimeters Between World Cups?

A Sports 5 article published on June 12, 2026 examines Cristiano Ronaldo’s reported physical changes across World Cup tournaments, focusing on an apparent 5-centimeter increase in height over 20 years. The piece notes that Ronaldo, now 41 and playing for Al Nassr, is listed by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup at 85 kilograms, 1.89 meters, and a market value of 10 million euros.

By comparison, FIFA’s figures show him at the 2006 World Cup as a 21-year-old Manchester United player, weighing 78 kilograms, standing 1.84 meters tall, and valued at 26.5 million euros. In 2010, while at Real Madrid, he was listed at 25 years old, 84 kilograms, 1.86 meters, and 90 million euros. In 2014, also with Real Madrid, he was 29, 80 kilograms, 1.85 meters, and worth 120 million euros.

For the 2018 World Cup, when he was between Real Madrid and Juventus, Ronaldo was listed at 33, 83 kilograms, 1.87 meters, and 100 million euros. At the 2022 tournament, between Manchester United and Al Nassr, he was 37, 84 kilograms, 1.88 meters, and valued at 15 million euros. The article says his weight has stayed almost the same over two decades, while age and height are the main changes.

The explanation offered is that it is highly unlikely he truly grew 5 centimeters after age 21, since people usually stop growing by then. More plausible reasons include different measurement methods, different times of day, because people are taller in the morning, and whether shoes or socks were worn during measurement.