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At 41, Cristiano Ronaldo is gearing up for his sixth FIFA World Cup finals, and the veteran continues to chase history. Over the years, records have fallen before him, and by the end of July, a few more might carry his name.

Ronaldo is set to lead Portugal once again at the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For a generation of fans, he has been a World Cup mainstay, but the upcoming edition is almost certainly his swansong.

True to his nature, Ronaldo will aim to add more milestones before he bows out. Here’s a look at the records the Portuguese superstar could break during his rare appearance on North American soil this summer.

It’s highly unlikely that Lionel Messi will miss what is expected to be his final World Cup — especially with his participation in 2026 already confirmed. Messi currently holds the record for the most World Cup matches played, but should he not feature this time, Ronaldo could threaten that mark. Ronaldo has made 22 appearances across five tournaments, just four fewer than Messi.

While it’s nearly unimaginable that Messi won’t lead Argentina in June and July, football is full of surprises. If fate intervenes and Messi does not play, Ronaldo — with an extended run — could surpass him in total World Cup matches.

Ronaldo also has a chance to match another remarkable feat. Both he and Messi have participated in five World Cup tournaments, tying them with four other players who have since retired. Should Messi skip the 2026 edition, Ronaldo could become the first footballer ever to feature in six men’s World Cups.

Argentina open their campaign against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium on June 16, while Portugal take on DR Congo a day later at NRG Stadium. This scheduling gives Messi the first opportunity to claim the six-tournament milestone.

The Portuguese captain already holds the record as the most-capped international player in football history and has won more international matches than any other player. Regardless of how 2026 unfolds, he will continue to share or hold several tournament appearance records — but being the first to achieve them would add another layer to his legacy.

The oldest player to score and win a World Cup final so far is Messi, who did so against France in the 2022 final. The record for the oldest goalscorer in a World Cup final, however, belongs to Swedish legend Niels Liedholm, who found the net against Brazil in 1962. Both Messi and Ronaldo are older than Liedholm was then, meaning a goal from either in the 2026 final would rewrite history. If both were to score, Ronaldo would take the record, being slightly older.

Ronaldo remains the world’s top international goalscorer and is the only player to have scored in five World Cups. A single goal this summer would keep him a full tournament ahead of Messi in that regard — and since all of Ronaldo’s goals came in consecutive tournaments, Messi would need to stay active through 2030 to match that streak.

He also holds the mark for being the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, achieved against Spain in Russia in 2018. However, his teammate Pepe later became the oldest scorer in a World Cup knockout match, netting against Switzerland during the 2022 edition. Given Ronaldo’s consistency — having scored in every World Cup since 2006 — surpassing that record seems well within reach.

In 1982, Italian goalkeeping legend Dino Zoff became the oldest player to feature in a World Cup final at 40 years and 133 days. If Portugal reach the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19, Ronaldo will shatter that record, appearing at 41 years and 164 days old — a testament to his remarkable longevity.

Beyond these milestones, numerous open-ended records could still fall to Ronaldo at World Cup 2026 — from the earliest or latest goal scored to the most goals in a single match. With his unrelenting drive and legendary status, few would bet against him adding more history to his name.