Cristiano Ronaldo is gearing up for a record-breaking sixth trip to the World Cup this summer, and he does so knowing that it will be the last time he ever steps onto football’s grandest stage. The Portuguese superstar is now 41 years of age, and those dazzling displays from a decade ago with Real Madrid are firmly in the rearview mirror. But despite his advancing years, CR7 remains a reliable source of goals, both for his club, Al Nassr, and his country.
Happy 41st birthday to one of the greatest soccer players to ever grace the field!
The greatest goal scorer of all-time and 5x Ballon d’Or winner: Cristiano Ronaldo! :tada:
— Ozoon (@Ozoon_CA) February 6, 2026
Roberto Martínez’s Portuguese squad is stacked with stars who are determined to finally make their mark on the World Cup. Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and João Cancelo are all 31 years of age, and this summer’s tournament could equally represent their last, just as it will for Ronaldo. None of them have ever made an impression on the tournament, with the run to the quarter finals four years ago the furthest that any of them has ever made it.
Online betting sites certainly aren’t writing Portugal off. Websites offering sports betting in Canada — a country that will host 13 games at this summer’s showdown — currently make Portugal an 11/1 fringe contender to leave MetLife Stadium with the trophy on July 11th. And while that is some way behind 9/2 outright favorites Spain, Ronaldo and Co. certainly aren’t afterthoughts.
So, throughout the five tournaments CR7 has played at thus far, which teams have ultimately sent him and his team packing? Let’s take a look.
2006: France
Ronaldo was just 21 years of age when he made his World Cup bow in 2006, and ironically, he has never enjoyed a better tournament. He and his Portugal teammates blitzed their way through the tournament that summer, topping Group D with a perfect three wins from three. They then won an ill-fated “Battle of Nuremberg” against the Netherlands with a 1-0 win in the round of 16, before then beating England on penalties in the quarterfinal — Ronaldo netting the winner.
That set up a semifinal against an aging France team led by the mercurial Zinedine Zidane. And unfortunately for Portugal, the iconic attacking midfielder’s brilliance was too much to contend with. Zizou scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot, ending the Selecao’s run and leaving Ronaldo in tears. The Portuguese haven’t made it to a World Cup semifinal since.
2010: Spain
Four years later, Ronaldo had matured into one of the two finest players on the planet alongside Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. He reached back-to-back Champions League finals with Manchester United in 2008 and 2009, winning the first in Moscow before losing the second in Rome. His exploits in that successful campaign in 2008 saw him win the Ballon d’Or for the first time ever.
By the time the 2010 World Cup rolled around, Ronaldo was in the royal white of Real Madrid and had struck 33 goals in his maiden campaign at the Bernabeu. As such, expectations were high for the World Cup, but the Selecao could only manage to scrape their way through to the knockout rounds after draws with Brazil and the Ivory Coast and a win against North Korea.
That set up a difficult round of 16 clash with neighbors Spain, and Ronaldo immediately knew his side was in danger. Vicente del Bosque’s starting eleven consisted of nine of the Barcelona players who had just dominated La Liga that term, and their tiki-taka football would neutralize Ronaldo’s brilliance. La Roja emerged as a 1-0 victor after David Villa’s second-half goal. They would go on to win the tournament while Portugal was left to lick their wounds.
2014: Group Stage Exit
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil was Ronaldo’s lowest moment on the international stage. His Portugal side was trounced 4-0 by eventual champions Germany in their opening game, and from there, they were always fighting an uphill battle. A 2-2 draw with the US meant that they had to beat Ghana by four clear goals in order to progress to the knockout round. The best they could manage was a 2-1 win, and they shockingly bowed out at the first hurdle.
2018: Uruguay
By the time Russia 2018 rolled around, Ronaldo was at the peak of his powers. He had just led Real Madrid to a three-peat of Champions League titles, while he had also led his country to its first-ever major trophy at Euro 2016. Hopes were high that Portugal’s time was finally now, and when CR7 netted a blistering hat trick in the 3-3 draw with Spain on opening night, those hopes looked well placed.
Ronaldo would net again in Portugal’s second game to secure a 1-0 win against Morocco, but a 1-1 draw in their final group game against Iran — a game which the Selecao very nearly lost — took the wind out of their sails. The European Champions would succumb to a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in the round of 16 as the brilliant Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez put the Portuguese defence to the sword, and the dream was over once again.
2022: Morocco
Many thought that Qatar 2022 would be Ronaldo’s last World Cup. He made headlines on the eve of the tournament in a blockbuster interview with Piers Morgan, which ultimately brought about the end of CR7’s Manchester United career. But as soon as the action got underway, Ronaldo set about making history, netting from the penalty spot in the opener against Ghana to become the first and to date only man in history to score at five separate World Cups.
From there, however, questions started to be asked about whether Portugal was better off without its talisman due to his inability to press at the ripe old age of 37. Young Gonçalo Ramos would take over up front and immediately netted a hat trick in the round of 16 against Switzerland, consigning CR7 to the bench for the quarterfinal against Morocco. That decision proved fatal, as Portugal slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat to the Atlas Lions, who would become the first African team ever to reach the semifinals.
