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Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing for his sixth World Cup finals at the age of 41. The records have been falling at his feet for years and there could be a few more attached to his name by the end of July.
Ronaldo is set to captain Portugal at World Cup 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer. He's a part of the World Cup furniture for a whole generation but 2026 is surely his last.
The all-time top World Cup appearance maker
The chances of Lionel Messi skipping out on a last World Cup seem vanishingly small and not only because he's already been shot in his World Cup 2026 boots.
Messi has played in more World Cup matches than anyone else in history but not participating this summer would put that record under immediate threat from Ronaldo, who is just four matches behind with 22 across five tournaments.
It's unthinkable that Messi won't lead Argentina in June and July but we live in an unpredictable world. Ronaldo, with the help of an unprecedented suspended suspension, is close enough to overtake in the unlikely event of Messi not being involved.
The first player to appear at six World Cup tournaments
Ronaldo is also poised to jump in if Messi misses his moment to become the first footballer to play at six different men's World Cups. Both Messi and Ronaldo are among the six players to have appeared at five finals tournaments and the other four are now retired.
Messi has the advantage here too: Argentina play Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium on June 16, one day before Portugal face DR Congo at NRG Stadium.
The Portugal captain already holds the record as the most-capped international player and, consequently, has won more international matches than anyone else. He'll have a share of the most tournaments record either way but getting there first would be a bonus.
The oldest World Cup final goalscorer
The oldest player to score in a World Cup final and win was Messi against France in the final of World Cup 2022. The oldest World Cup final goalscorer of all is AC Milan icon Niels Liedholm, who scored for Sweden in a defeat by Brazil in the final in 1962.
Both Messi and Ronaldo are older than Niedholm, so a goal in the final for either would add yet another record to an already extensive list. Of course, if both were to score in the final then Ronaldo would hold the record.
The oldest knock-out round goalscorer
Ronaldo is the world's leading international goalscorer and the only play to score at five World Cups. He needs a goal this summer to stay at least one tournament ahead of Messi on that front, but his five were consecutive – Messi would have to play until at least 2030 to even equal that.
The Portugal skipper is also the oldest scorer of a World Cup hat-trick, which he achieved against Spain in Russia eight years ago.
But Ronaldo is older now than when teammate Pepe scored against Switzerland at World Cup 2022 to become the oldest player to score a goal in a World Cup knock-out game.
For a player who's scored at every World Cup since 2006, that's a target that seems eminently achievable.
The oldest World Cup finalist
In Spain in 1982, legendary Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff became the oldest player to appear in a World Cup final at the age of 40 years and 133 days.
Should Portugal make it to the final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19, Ronaldo will smash that record at 41 years and 164 days. Honestly, think of the man's knees.
There are countless open-ended records that could end up attached to Ronaldo's name by the end of World Cup 2026. He could score the earliest or latest goals or the most in a game, for example, but that could happen to anyone.
You wouldn't put it past him, though.
