Cristiano Ronaldo continued to redraw the record books at the 2026 World Cup, starting a match at age 41 and scoring in a sixth tournament. His late-career run shows how a single athlete can reshape expectations for longevity, national team leadership and the cultural weight of football's biggest stage.
Records That Stretch Across Generations
During Portugal's opening match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ronaldo, aged 41 years and 132 days, became the oldest outfield player to start a match in the tournament's history. In a group-stage game against Uzbekistan, he became the first male footballer to score in six World Cups. He added a goal in the round of 32 against Croatia, making him the oldest player in World Cup history to score in the knockout stage.
A Career Built on Scoring
Ronaldo, who was born in Funchal, Madeira, has won five Ballon d'Or awards and, in 2024, became the first men's player to score 900 career goals in official matches. His career spans Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, followed by a move to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. His tenure at Real Madrid alone produced 311 goals in 292 matches before he moved on to Italy.
Retirement Signals and an Unsettled Exit
Before Portugal's 1-0 loss to Spain in the round of 16, Ronaldo said the 2026 tournament would be his last World Cup. Later that year, during UEFA Nations League fixtures, he left the national squad after a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus. In a 2,000-word Instagram statement, he criticized Jesus for not following a previously agreed match plan, while apologizing to teammates, fans and the football federation for his abrupt departure.
Beyond the Pitch
Ronaldo's commercial reach has been as notable as his playing record. He became the third person, after Michael Jordan and LeBron James, to earn a lifetime contract with Nike, and he built the CR7 brand across footwear, apparel and fragrances. In October 2025, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimated his net worth at $1.4 billion, making him the first active football player declared a billionaire. His career has also included a 2018 settlement in Spain, where he accepted a suspended two-year prison sentence and agreed to pay €18.8 million over image-rights income he had been accused of concealing.