- Cristiano Ronaldo will play in his sixth World Cup after being named in Portugal’s starting line-up for their opening game against DR Congo on Wednesday.
- Ronaldo made his first appearance at a World Cup in 2006, and he is still going strong 20 years later, with Roberto Martinez trusting him to lead the line for Portugal.
- Ronaldo has now equalled Lionel Messi’s record of playing in six World Cups, with the Argentine superstar making his first appearance at the 2026 tournament on Tuesday night.
- Messi delivered a masterful performance as he scored his first World Cup hat-trick to guide Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria.
- Ronaldo will hope to make a similar impact, with Portugal aiming to get off to a strong start to prove they can be World Cup contenders.
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