Manchester City’s defensive stalwart Ruben Dias has expressed doubts that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark the farewell appearance for football’s evergreen legends—41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, 38-year-old Lionel Messi, and 40-year-old Luka Modric. The Portuguese centre-back emphasised the squad’s immense drive to claim the only major title missing from their captain Ronaldo’s glittering career.
Portugal’s added motivation
Speaking in the lead-up to the much-awaited global tournament, the Portugal international addressed speculation that the upcoming World Cup could be the final grand stage for the sport’s most celebrated figures. In a conversation with Portuguese publication A Bola, Dias was asked whether this tournament might serve as the ultimate farewell for Argentina’s Messi, Croatia’s Modric, and Portugal’s own Ronaldo. The World Cup remains the only major crown that has eluded Ronaldo’s illustrious resume. Responding with a measured “Let’s see…”, Dias suggested that nothing is certain when it comes to players of such calibre. He went on to describe what the pursuit of this elusive honour represents for the team, saying, “It is an extra motivation factor,” referring to their collective determination to achieve history.
Playing for Ronaldo’s dream
Portugal, a nation known for continuously producing world-class talent, still yearns for the sport’s most coveted trophy. According to Dias, the players do not see the expectations to deliver the World Cup for their heroic skipper as a burden. Rather, they perceive it as a unifying mission—an opportunity to dethrone Messi’s Argentina and etch their own legacy. Sharing the team’s perspective, Dias remarked, “It would be a pleasure for all of us to be able to provide that moment to him, to ourselves, to all of Portugal, to our families. It does not represent extra pressure; it represents, yes, an even more special desire to be part of [the World Cup] and to get there to win.”
A legendary trio’s lasting legacy
The 2026 tournament will again showcase three of football’s defining superstars who collectively hold an astonishing 14 Ballon d’Or titles. Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi leads the count with a record eight awards, along with his 2022 World Cup triumph, two Copa America victories, and four UEFA Champions League titles. Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo follows with five Ballon d’Ors to his name, backed by five Champions League conquests, the historic Euro 2016 triumph, and league titles across England, Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Luka Modric—now representing Milan—famously disrupted the Messi-Ronaldo dominance by winning the 2018 Ballon d’Or and has also secured six Champions League trophies during his illustrious tenure at Real Madrid.
Challenging group stage encounters ahead
The trio of legends will once again face intense competition when the group stages kick off on June 17. Defending champions Argentina are drawn against Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. Modric’s Croatia will battle it out with England, Panama, and Ghana. Portugal, led by Ronaldo, begin their campaign versus DR Congo, followed by matches against Uzbekistan on June 23 and Colombia on June 27. Each of these giants must navigate demanding early fixtures to keep their hopes of lifting the ultimate prize alive.
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