Messi and Cristiano, the first to play in six World Cups
The 2026 World Cup had a generational milestone: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo became the first players in history to appear at six World Cups. Two unrepeatable careers that, in all likelihood, said goodbye to the tournament.
For almost two decades, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have pushed the limits of the possible, and the 2026 World Cup added another chapter to their legend: both became the first players in history to appear at six World Cups. A mark that captures their longevity and their sustained level at the very top.
Messi experienced his sixth World Cup as Argentina's captain and reached the final, where his side lost to Spain (1-0). Cristiano, with Portugal, bowed out earlier: his team fell in the round of 16 to Spain (0-1). Two different paths to the same milestone.
Six World Cups mean more than twenty years wearing their country's shirt at football's most demanding event. Very few players have even reached five; none, until them, had made six. It is the statistical proof of a rivalry that has defined an entire era.
In all likelihood, 2026 was the last World Cup for both. The tournament thus bids farewell to two footballers who made it greater, and who leave a void hard to fill. Review their historic records and the World Cup data on our site.