June 2 : Cristiano Ronaldo has bent football's record books into so many shapes that another landmark can almost feel routine but a sixth World Cup at 41 would be extraordinary even by his standards. The 2026 tournament is set to add another stop to Ronaldo's long and often bruising World Cup journey, one that began in Germany in 2006 and has wound through South Africa, Brazil, Russia and Qatar without delivering the prize he has chased. Only Lionel Messi is poised to match him for appearances