World Cup what to know: Cristiano Ronaldo looks to make history by scoring in 6th World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo, your turn.

The 41-year-old is acceptable to participate the World Cup connected Wednesday (June 17, 2026) erstwhile Portugal meets Congo aft awesome performances by the tournament's different apical stars.

France's Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland of Norway each had 2 goals arsenic they opened their World Cup campaigns connected Tuesday (June 16, 2026), portion Lionel Messi scored a chapeau instrumentality for Argentina. That gave Messi 16 vocation goals successful the World Cup, tying him with Germany's Miroslav Klose for the all-time record.

Ronaldo is besides looking to marque past by becoming the archetypal subordinate to people successful six World Cups. Messi, too, is playing successful his sixth World Cup but failed to find the nett successful 2010.

“Well, I privation him the champion — I anticipation that helium scores but not against us," Congo manager Sébastien Desabre said of the Portugal forward.

Ronaldo's absorption has been connected his team's success.

“We spell lucifer by match, but not with the expectations of winning it all,” Ronaldo told reporters successful Portugal past week earlier the team's departure. “It has to beryllium measurement by step. A bully commencement is the astir important thing,” Some Portugal supporters question whether the aging prima volition beryllium a assistance oregon a detriment to the team.

After scoring conscionable erstwhile successful the 2022 World Cup successful Qatar, Ronaldo was upset aft helium subbed disconnected against South Korea and benched for the club's archetypal knockout-stage lucifer against Switzerland. He besides failed to people successful the 2024 European Championship — the archetypal clip that has happened astatine a large planetary tournament.

But Ronaldo has besides shown signs of his aged productivity.

He scored 8 goals during Portugal's 2025 UEFA Nations League title, including an equalizer successful the last against Spain. And, helium precocious won his archetypal Saudi Pro League rubric with Al-Nassr, scoring a club-high 28 goals.