One of the greatest soccer players of all time in Cristiano Ronaldo will have one final chance of winning the FIFA World Cup this summer.
The World Cup is the one prize to have eluded Ronaldo, often described as the GOAT, during his illustrious 24-year playing career.
Ronaldo’s Portugal are often cited as one of the favourites when a soccer tournament rolls around, yet the 2016 European Championships held in France are the only major one they have won.
Great rival Lionel Messi finally won the World Cup in 2022 and, at 41, this summer’s tournament is surely the last chance Ronaldo will get of drawing level with the Argentine.
However, Ronaldo himself has previously said that winning the World Cup or not will define his legacy.
Ronaldo does not care about not winning the World Cup
Speaking to Piers Morgan back in November 2025, Ronaldo insisted it is not fair to define one’s legacy on whether they have won the World Cup.
He said: “If you ask me, ‘Cristiano is it a dream to win the World Cup?’ No, it’s not a dream.
“To win the World Cup won’t change my name in the history of football. I’m not going to lie.”
He added: “People say, ‘Cristiano will be the greatest if he wins the World Cup!’ I don’t agree. I already won three titles with Portugal.”
Ronaldo went on to say: “Of course, you want to win. Yeah, when you compete, you want to win. I’m honest, for me, it’s not going to change the way I see things and the way I see football.
“To define if I’m one of the best in history? To win one competition? Six games, seven games – you think it’s fair? It’s not fair.”
Ronaldo’s place in soccer’s history books simply is not to be disputed. The forward is one of the greatest of all-time, breaking scoring and appearance records on both the club and international stage.
Still, there is a sense that winning the World Cup takes a soccer player to a different level. Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona are perhaps Ronaldo’s greatest GOAT rivals, and all of them have at least one World Cup to their name.
Ronaldo’s scoring record in World Cups
It should be noted that Portugal were by no means a regular force on the World Cup stage before Ronaldo began his international career.
They boasted great players, of course, with former Benfica iconic Eusebio leading them to third place back in 1966.
They did not qualify again, however, until 1986.
Portugal have since appeared at every World Cup since 2002. The furthest they have been since 1966 is when they finished fourth at the 2006 tournament in Germany.
Over the course of his career, Ronaldo has scored eight goals in 22 World Cup games, though none of them have come in the knockout stages.
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