Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking sixth World Cup selection hailed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino

Cristiano Ronaldo is gearing up to return to soccer’s biggest stage after manager Roberto Martinez confirmed the forward’s inclusion in Portugal’s final 27-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. With his presence officially locked in, Ronaldo has made history, prompting FIFA President Gianni Infantino to publicly praise the monumental achievement.

“An incredible achievement by an inspirational player – it’s a record sixth successful FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign for Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal booked their place at the 2026 edition,” Infantino wrote on his Instagram account.

Furthermore, Infantino highlighted the historic feat that Ronaldo is poised to accomplish in North America. “Cristiano now has the chance to represent his country at six FIFA World Cups – something no men’s player has yet achieved,” he added.

However, Ronaldo might not be alone in achieving this landmark. Both Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa are also preparing for what could be their sixth World Cup campaigns, and while their official squad selections have yet to be confirmed, the probability of them featuring in North America remains incredibly high.

Ronaldo’s World Cup history

Cristiano’s journey with soccer’s most prestigious tournament began at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where, as a 21-year-old, he managed to score his first tournament goal across six appearances. In that edition, Portugal secured their second-best finish in history, placing fourth and narrowly missing out on matching the bronze medal secured at England 1966.

Four years later, he returned for the 2010 edition in South Africa, once again netting a single goal in four matches. During that tournament, Portugal was eliminated in the Round of 16 after falling to eventual champions Spain.

Brazil 2014 marked Cristiano’s toughest World Cup outing to date. Despite scoring one goal, Portugal suffered a premature group-stage exit after being drawn into a difficult group alongside Germany, the United States, and Ghana.

In Russia 2018, Cristiano delivered his finest individual World Cup performance. The forward struck four times, including a sensational hat-trick against Spain in an electric 3-3 draw to open the tournament. However, collective success eluded them once again, as they were knocked out by Uruguay in the Round of 16.

In his most recent appearance at Qatar 2022, Ronaldo scored just once during the group stage and subsequently lost his place in the starting lineup during the knockout rounds. On that occasion, Portugal’s journey came to an end with a shocking quarterfinal defeat to Morocco.