Cristiano Ronaldo has scored at six World Cup tournaments: no one has netted in more.
It’s a sign of the Portugal captain’s longevity that the same wonderkid who lit up Euro 2024 is still performing for his country 22 years later – but with all the talk of Lionel Messi racking up records yesterday, what does his long-term rival hold?
He’s already the record scorer and appearance holder at international level, but he has a few World Cup records, too.
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Most tournaments played (shared)
Prior to 2026, no player had appeared at more than five editions of the World Cup – and no player had appeared in two World Cups 20 years apart.
That’s all changed this year: Luka Modric first played in 2006 (though missed 2010’s edition), while Ronaldo shares the record for having played at six tournaments with… you guessed it, Lionel Messi (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026).
Most tournaments named in a squad (shared)
Only three players have been to six tournaments, whether they’ve played or not.
Obviously, Ronaldo and Messi are two: the other is legendary Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who has gone to every tournament that the other two have been to, but hasn’t played at all of them.
Most goals scored in qualifiers
There would be no World Cup records if you didn’t qualify for the tournament itself, after all.
Ronaldo has scored a whopping 41 goals in qualification for the World Cup, from 2006 to present, which is more than anyone else.
