Cristiano Ronaldo scripts history, becomes oldest outfield starter in FIFA World Cup

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has set a new FIFA World Cup record, becoming the oldest outfield player to start a match in the tournament's history. At 41 years and 132 days old, he took the field against DR Congo in the FIFA World Cup 2026. Ronaldo surpassed the previous record held by Canada's Atiba Hutchinson, who started a World Cup match at 39 years and 296 days. This milestone highlights Ronaldo's remarkable longevity and continued presence at the highest level of international football. He also joined Argentina's Lionel Messi as only the second male player to feature in six FIFA World Cups, having first appeared in 2006. Portugal faced a challenging start to their campaign, drawing 1-1 with DR Congo. Ronaldo struggled to make an impact, recording 25 touches, attempting three shots without hitting the target, and winning only one duel. This marked one of the lowest involvement games of his World Cup career. The frustration is compounded by his streak of 10 consecutive matches without scoring in major competitions. Portugal took an early lead through João Neves but were pegged back by Yoane Wissa's equalizer before halftime. An acrobatic effort by João Cancelo was disallowed for offside in the second half.