🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo makes cup history on the pitch; explained | OneFootball

In his debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, representing Portugal against DR Congo, Cristiano Ronaldo set a new historic record.

At 41 years and 132 days old, the forward became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match, according to Opta data.

The match in Houston marks the start of Ronaldo’s sixth appearance in the tournament, a record he shares with Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa.

The Portugal captain leads the team in pursuit of the only trophy still missing from his decorated career.

CR7 is still the only player to score in five consecutive World Cups (since 2006).

He can extend that record to six if he scores in 2026, since Messi did not score in 2010.

Who is the oldest?

The record for the oldest player in World Cup history belongs to Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who played at 45 years and 161 days old in 2018 – even saving a penalty.

Second in the ranking is Colombian Faryd Mondragón, who played at 43 years and 13 days old, followed by the legendary Roger Milla.

The Cameroon forward remains the oldest outfield player in the tournament’s history, having played and even scored at 42 years and 39 days old.

Milla, however, was a substitute for Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup, and his call-up was also a way to bring experience to the African team and, of course, chase records.

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

📸 RONALDO SCHEMIDT - AFP or licensors