After just one second! CR7 makes World Cup history

In partnership with

OneFootball

·17. Juni 2026

After just one second! CR7 makes World Cup history

Does Lionel Messi want to steal the show? After La Pulga’s historic hat-trick against Algeria, Cristiano Ronaldo is also making history in his first 2026 World Cup appearance. In the match against Congo, CR7 needed only a few moments.

41 - Aged 41 years and 132 days, 🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo is the oldest outfield player to start a match in FIFA World Cup history. Timeless.
– Mittwoch, 17. Juni 2026

With Abdulrahman Al Jassim’s opening whistle in Houston, the Portuguese star, at 41 years and 132 days old, became the oldest outfield player ever to start a World Cup match. Will he also crown himself the oldest goalscorer in the world’s biggest tournament right away?

OneFootball Videos

Portugal1

DR Kongo1

HeuteAbpfiff

That’s actually still not possible — even a CR7 is too young for that. Roger Milla scored at the 1994 World Cup at the age of 42 as a substitute for Cameroon. Well then, Ronaldo will have to come back again in four years.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Alex Slitz - 2026 Getty Images