HOUSTON, United States — Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo has broken another international football milestone, becoming the oldest outfield player to ever start a match in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
The veteran forward achieved the feat on Wednesday afternoon, June 17, 2026, after being named in the starting lineup for Portugal’s Group K opening match against the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Houston Stadium.
Okay News sports reports that at 41 years and 132 days old, Cristiano Ronaldo has overtaken Northern Ireland legend Pat Jennings to secure the fourth spot on the all-time list of oldest World Cup participants. The absolute record remains held by Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who started against Saudi Arabia in 2018 at the age of 45 years and 161 days, followed by Colombia’s Faryd Mondragón and Cameroon’s Roger Milla.
The selection by manager Roberto Martínez marks Ronaldo’s entry into a record-equaling sixth World Cup tournament. His inclusion in the squad comes amidst high-stakes tournament pressure, following a historic hat-trick by his long-time rival Lionel Messi for Argentina earlier in the opening round. Standing alongside other active veteran goal-stoppers at the 2026 tournament, including Germany’s Manuel Neuer and Cape Verde’s Vozinha, Ronaldo’s presence continues to rewrite long-held expectations regarding athletic longevity at the highest level of global sport.
