At 36, most footballers are already in the late autumn of their careers. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, is probably pursuing one goal – the 2026 World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo is obviously not thinking about the end of his career for a long time. According to the English tabloid Sun CR7 also wants to play for Portugal at the 2026 World Cup.
Should the Manchester United striker be nominated for the tournament in Mexico, Canada and the USA, Ronaldo would already be 41 years old.
In addition, it would be his sixth consecutive participation in a World Cup after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which would set him a record. Lothar Matthäus, Antonio Carbajal and Gianluigi Buffon were each represented five times in the largest national competition.
Also in 2026: Ronaldo would not be the oldest World Cup player
Before his milestone, Ronaldo has to qualify for his fifth World Cup appearance. Portugal are currently in second place in qualifying group A, one point behind leaders Serbia. But with one game less.
The five-time world footballer could not set an age record in 2026. The oldest player to date to have played at a World Cup finals is the Egyptian Essam El-Hadary. In 2018, the goalkeeper was used in Russia at the age of 45 years and 161 days.
Roger Milia from Cameroon, on the other hand, is 42 years and 38 days old and is the oldest field player to have played in the World Cup. The striker played in his country’s 6-1 defeat by Russia in 1994.
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
