At 41 years old, global football icon Cristiano Ronaldo has cemented another legendary milestone in his decades-long career, earning a selection to Portugal’s 27-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer. The announcement, made by Portuguese head coach Roberto Martinez on Tuesday, paves the way for Ronaldo to compete at a record-breaking sixth World Cup — a feat few players in the history of the sport have ever come close to achieving.\n\nCurrently plying his trade with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr following stints at European giants Real Madrid and Manchester United, Ronaldo brings unmatched experience and goal-scoring pedigree to the Portuguese squad. As the all-time leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 goals to his name, the veteran striker has one major trophy missing from his extensive collection: a World Cup title. Ronaldo and Portugal have never advanced past the semi-final stage of the competition, leaving the five-time Ballon d’Or winner hungry to claim the sport’s biggest prize in what will likely be his final World Cup appearance.\n\nA storyline that has already captured global football fans’ attention is the potential reunion on the world’s biggest stage with Ronaldo’s long-time rival Lionel Messi. The Argentine great, who led his country to World Cup glory in Qatar 2022, is also set to compete at his sixth World Cup this summer, setting up the possibility of one more head-to-head clash between the two greatest players of their generation.\n\nRonaldo’s inclusion in the squad came as a mild surprise to some, after he was sent off for an elbowing incident in Portugal’s final qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland. The forward avoided a three-match suspension that would have ruled him out of the opening stage of the tournament, clearing his path to make history.\n\nCoach Martinez’s final 27-man selection held few major shocks outside of Ronaldo’s cleared suspension, with most of the nation’s top talent included in the roster. Joao Felix, Ronaldo’s teammate at Al-Nassr, earned a call-up, as did four Paris Saint-Germain stars: Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Ramos. Manchester United’s creative playmaker Bruno Fernandes also made the cut, alongside Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias, who form a solid core of Premier League-based talent.\n\nIn terms of pre-tournament preparation, Portugal will warm up for the World Cup with friendly fixtures against Chile and Nigeria before kicking off their official campaign against DR Congo on June 17. After the opening match, Portugal will face Uzbekistan in Group K on June 23, before wrapping up their group stage play against Colombia four days later on June 27.\n\nThe full 27-man squad includes four goalkeepers: Diogo Costa of Porto, Jose Sa of England’s Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rui Silva of Sporting Lisbon, and Ricardo Velho of Turkey’s Genclerbirligi. The defensive line-up features Diogo Dalot and Jonny Evans of Manchester United, Ruben Dias and Matheus Nunes of Manchester City, Nelson Semedo of Turkey’s Fenerbahce, Joao Cancelo of Spain’s Barcelona, Nuno Mendes of France’s PSG, Goncalo Inacio of Sporting Lisbon, Renato Veiga of Spain’s Villarreal, and Tomas Araujo of Benfica. Midfielders include Ruben Neves of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal, Samu Costa of Spain’s Mallorca, Joao Neves and Vitinha of PSG, Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United, and Bernardo Silva of Manchester City. The attacking corps is headlined by Ronaldo and Joao Felix of Al-Nassr, with additional options including Francisco Trincao of Sporting Lisbon, Francisco Conceicao of Italy’s Juventus, Pedro Neto of England’s Chelsea, Rafael Leao of Italy’s AC Milan, Goncalo Guedes of Spain’s Real Sociedad, and Goncalo Ramos of PSG.