Cristiano Ronaldo's Last Shot: 41 Years Old, 973 Goals and the Only Trophy That Has Eluded Him

Cristiano says this will be his last World Cup. At 41, with 143 Portugal goals, he has one final chance to change his story.

There is one image that has haunted Cristiano Ronaldo since 10 December 2022: him, walking off the pitch at Al-Thumama Stadium in Doha in tears, after Morocco knocked Portugal out in the World Cup quarter-finals — a tournament in which his own manager had sent him to the bench. Many thought that was the last time we'd see Cristiano at a World Cup. They were wrong. At 41, he's back. And this time he's made it perfectly clear: this is the last one.

The Sixth World Cup: a Record He Shares Only with Messi (and Ochoa)

When Cristiano steps onto the pitch at NRG Stadium in Houston on 17 June against DR Congo, he will become one of the first men in history to play in SIX World Cups, alongside Leo Messi and Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. No other player had ever achieved it. The first was the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when Messi still didn't shave and many of his current international teammates were in primary school.

The Numbers Behind Unfinished Business

For a man who has won everything — five Champions League titles, five Ballon d'Or awards, two European Championships, two Nations League trophies — his World Cup record is surprisingly modest: 8 goals in 22 matches and no final. His best return was the hat-trick against Spain in 2018. At Qatar 2022 he only scored a penalty against Ghana before Fernando Santos dropped him to the bench and Gonçalo Ramos stole the spotlight with a hat-trick in the round of 16.

• Germany 2006 — 1 goal, semi-finals (4th place)
• South Africa 2010 — 1 goal, round of 16
• Brazil 2014 — 1 goal, group stage
• Russia 2018 — 4 goals (hat-trick vs Spain), round of 16
• Qatar 2022 — 1 goal, quarter-finals and tears against Morocco

Why This Portugal Side Can Actually Win It

This is not the Portugal side that ran out of steam in Qatar. In June 2025, Roberto Martínez's men won the Nations League in the final against Spain (5-3 on penalties, with a Cristiano goal included), and the 2026 squad is genuinely fearsome: Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Rafael Leão, Bernardo Silva, Nuno Mendes, João Neves and a João Félix who now shares a dressing room with Cristiano at Al-Nassr. The captain, for his part, arrives in superb form: 28 goals in 30 matches this season and his first Saudi league title.

The squad also carries a detail that is deeply moving: Martínez has reserved a symbolic place in the group for Diogo Jota, who died in a road accident in July 2025. Portugal are playing this World Cup for something more than a trophy.

When Does Portugal Play at the 2026 World Cup?

Portugal are in Group K with Colombia, Uzbekistan and DR Congo. They open on 17 June against DR Congo in Houston (19:00 Spanish time), face Uzbekistan on 23 June at the same venue, and close the group stage against Colombia in Miami on 27 June. On paper, a very manageable group... just like Qatar's was.

Could Cristiano and Messi Face Each Other?

Only in the knockout rounds. If Portugal and Argentina win their groups, the earliest possible meeting would come in the later stages. A Cristiano versus Messi match at a World Cup, with both men playing out their final farewell, would arguably be the most-watched football match in history. Messi already has the 2022 trophy; Cristiano is playing for the one blank line on his CV.

Do You Believe in His Last Shot? Prove It

Portugal as world champions would be the perfect story... or the same old heartbreak. What do you think? On QuiniPrats you can predict every match of the 2026 World Cup and compete with your friends to see who reads the tournament best. Will you get Cristiano's run right?

Images: Cristiano Ronaldo at a press conference (Agência Lusa, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) and Cristiano with Portugal in Yerevan 2025 (YantsImages, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons).