On September 6, during the qualification of the 2026 World Cup against Armenia, Cristiano Ronaldo proved once again that age is just a number. The Portuguese legend has marked a tutor, bringing its count in the qualifications of the 38 -goal world cup.
This milestone not only brought him in front of Lionel Messi, but also to only a strike away from the record of all the times of Carlos Ruiz, the striker Guatemaltec known as “El PescaDito”.
For more than two decades, Ronaldo has made a career of pursuit and breakage. And now, even at 40, he is transforming another apparently impossible target into his next springboard.
Because Ronaldo’s record is important
Ruiz’s 39 Goal record has never transported a symbolic weight: Guatemala has never reached a world cup. But for Ronaldo, it represents one last challenge late in his career. With five qualifications that remained against beatable opponents such as Hungary, Ireland and Armenia, overcoming Ruiz seems inevitable.
But the real story does not only concern the numbers. At an age in which most of his peers retired or moved to coaching, Ronaldo continues to play with the hunger for someone who refuses to accept the limits of the time.
The routes of Messi and Ronaldo now diverge sharply: while Messi has taken a step back, leaving his future world Cup after having ensured every important trophy, Ronaldo goes forward, determined to stay in the spotlight.
The final chapter of Ronaldo’s career
For Ronaldo, the qualifications of 2026 are more than simple statistics: they are a prelude to what could be his last World Cup.
Ironically, while his qualifying numbers are amazing, his record of the World Cup finals is modest: only 8 goals in 5 tournaments and none in the direct elimination rounds. His brightest memory remains the 2006 semifinal as 21 years. Since then, Portugal has only reached a quarter of final (2022), where Ronaldo was put on the bench in the shocking loss in Morocco.
That unfinished story explains its determination. He is not just chasing Ruiz’s record or is borying put in another statistics, but he is looking for the possibility of redefining his legacy of the World Cup.
Time against Ronaldo
At 40, the physical decline is inevitable. Each sprint, each blow is a duel over time. However, Ronaldo continues to show the resilience that he defined his career.
Compared to the pretty output strategy of Messi, Ronaldo embraces a different narrative, pushing himself to the limit, even risking the bankruptcy, just to stay on the field and continue to score.
It is this challenge that makes it extraordinary. In the eternal duel of football with the time of father, Ronaldo forced the watch to slow down, even if only for a moment.
Will 2026 deliver his missing piece?
While the United States, Mexico and Canada are preparing to host the FIFA World Cup of 2026, a question lingers: will Ronaldo finally mark in a direct elimination match or even lift the trophy that has elusive it?
Whatever the result, a truth is undeniable: Cristiano Ronaldo at 40 does not only concern records. It is the incarnation of the relentless ambition, a living symbol of willpower and longevity in football.
Sources: Qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup, UEFA statistics, sports media reports
