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Cristiano will enter his name in the history books by becoming only the second player to captain his country at five FIFA World Cups.
Cristiano Ronaldo set to create history. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time, and at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to begin on June 11, the 41-year-old will enter his name in the history books by becoming only the second player to captain his country at five FIFA World Cups.
Ronaldo, who holds the record for the most goals (143) in international football, captained Portugal at the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. He has once again been named Portugal’s captain for the 2026 edition.
As of now, Rafael Márquez is the only player to have captained his national team at five different FIFA World Cups.
Márquez captained Mexico at the 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups.
His most recent appearance as Mexico’s captain came in the team’s opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, when he came on as a substitute in a 1-0 victory over Germany.
Across those five World Cup editions, Márquez played 19 matches for Mexico and scored three goals, finding the net once each in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
Meanwhile, since making his FIFA World Cup debut in 2006 and helping Portugal finish fourth, Ronaldo has played 22 World Cup matches for his country. He is Portugal’s most-capped player in FIFA World Cup history and has scored eight goals.
Most matches for Portugal in FIFA World Cup
| PLAYER | MATCHES | WORLD CUPs |
|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 22 | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 |
| Simon | 11 | 2006, 2010 |
| Pepe | 11 | 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 |
| Luís Figo | 10 | 2002, 2006 |
| Ricardo Carvalho | 10 | 2006, 2010 |
| William Carvalho | 10 | 2014, 2018, 2022 |
| Pauleta | 9 | 2002, 2006 |
| Tiago | 9 | 2006, 2010 |
| Petit | 8 | 2002, 2006 |
| Bernardo Silva | 8 | 2018, 2022 |
Ronaldo is second on Portugal’s all-time FIFA World Cup goalscoring list. Only Eusébio, with nine goals, has scored more for Portugal at the tournament. If Ronaldo scores at least two goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he will move to the top of the list.
Most goals for Portugal in FIFA World Cup
| PLAYER | GOALS | WORLD CUPs |
|---|---|---|
| Eusebio | 9 | 1966 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 8 | 2006 (1)2010 (1)2014 (1)2018 (4)2022 (1) |
| Pauleta | 4 | 2002 (3)2006 (1) |
| Joseph Augustus | 3 | 1966 |
| Jose Torres | 3 | 1966 |
| Gonçalo Ramos | 3 | 2022 |
| Sleeves | 2 | 2006 |
| Tiago | 2 | 2010 |
| Bruno Fernandes | 2 | 2022 |
| Pepe | 2 | 2018, 2022 |
| Rafael Leao | 2 | 2022 |
Ronaldo has scored at least one goal in each of the previous five FIFA World Cups, and he now has the opportunity to become the first player in history to score in six different editions of the tournament.
About the Author
Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist with CNN-News18 since July 1, 2024, and covers cricket with a sharp eye for records, trends, and match analysis. Based in Noida, he has reported extensively on the…Read More
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