Regarded as one of football’s greatest-ever players, Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal’s most-capped player and the nation’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Ronaldo has earned more than 190 caps since he made his international debut in 2003, scoring more than 100 goals. He has found the net in 11 major tournaments, helping Portugal to their first major tournament title at Euro 2016.
He also fired Portugal to victory at the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019 and won the Golden Boot at Euro 2020.
At the age of 37, Ronaldo is heading into his fifth FIFA World Cup in 2022, and a glance back through his history at the World Cup shows he has unfinished business in the competition.
MORE: Everything to know about Cristiano Ronaldo
Has Cristiano Ronaldo won the World Cup?
Cristiano Ronaldo has never won a FIFA World Cup. Throughout his career he has won an incredible number of team and individual honours, but he has yet to get his hands on the game’s most famous trophy.
Success with Portugal took 13 years to arrive for Ronaldo, who made his debut in a 1-0 win over Kazakhstan in August 2003 and went on to help his country to a first major tournament title when they triumphed at Euro 2016.
Ronaldo described Portugal’s Euro 2016 victory as “one of the happiest moments in my career” and “an amazing unique moment for all Portuguese”.
The Manchester United forward has admitted that he expects Qatar to be his final World Cup, given that he’ll be 41 by the time the 2026 edition rolls around.
While he will have a strong Portugal squad around him in Qatar, he will nevertheless carry the hopes of his country once again.
Has Cristiano Ronaldo played in a World Cup final?
Cristiano Ronaldo has played in a World Cup semifinal, but he has never reached the final itself.
At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where Ronaldo made his debut in the tournament, Portugal enjoyed a superb campaign, progressing through the group stage with three wins and then beating England to earn a semifinal against France.
Ronaldo scored the winning penalty in Portugal’s shoot-out victory over England to send the Selecao into the semifinals, where a Zinedine Zidane penalty was enough to earn France victory and end Portugal’s best run in the competition since 1966.
At the age of 21, Ronaldo had his whole career ahead of him and he would go on to win more honours than almost any other player in the game.
But World Cup glory has always escaped him.
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Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup matches, goals
Although he is Portugal’s most-capped player at the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo’s four tournaments have all ended in disappointment.
As Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer, he will be personally disappointed not to have scored more goals at the World Cup finals. His tally of seven puts him behind Portugal legend Eusebio, who netted nine goals in just one tournament in 1966.
All of Ronaldo’s World Cup goals were scored in the group stages. He scored one in each group stage of the 2006, 2010 and 2014 tournaments, and four in the group stage at the 2018 World Cup.
| Year | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 484 |
| 2010 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 360 |
| 2014 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 270 |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 360 |
How many World Cups have Portugal won?
Portugal has never won a FIFA World Cup in seven appearances at the tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in the Portugal team at four out of those seven tournaments, helping the Selecao to one of their two appearances in the semifinals.
Portugal has reached the semifinals of the World Cup on two occasions: in 1966 and 2006.
| Year | Host | Stage Reached | Eliminated by | Top goalscorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | England | Semifinals | England (2-1) | Eusebio (9) |
| 1986 | Mexico | Group Stage | Morocco (3-1) | 2 tied w/ 1 goal each |
| 2002 | Japan/South Korea | Group Stage | South Korea (1-0) | Pauleta (3) |
| 2006 | Germany | Semifinals | France (1-0) | Maniche (2) |
| 2010 | South Africa | Round of 16 | Spain (1-0) | Tiago (2) |
| 2014 | Brazil | Group Stage | United States (2-2) | 3 tied w/ 1 goal each |
| 2018 | Russia | Round of 16 | Uruguay (2-1) | Ronaldo (4) |
Will Portugal win the 2022 World Cup?
Though Portugal is not among the sides most expected to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they could well upset the odds.
Having triumphed at Euro 2016 just six years ago, and built on that success with victory in the 2019 Nations League, Portugal have developed their squad by adding exciting young players who will complement Ronaldo’s experience.
The likes of Joao Felix, Diogo Jota, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva will be eager to make their mark on the World Cup, while Ronaldo gives his all on the world stage for what will likely be the last time.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada) and SkyBet (UK), current as of Nov. 1, 2022.
| Country | Caesars | Sports Interaction |
SkyBet | Ladbrokes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | +400 | 3.41 | 4/1 | 5.00 |
| France | +600 | 4.62 | 6/1 | 7.00 |
| England | +700 | 5.52 | 7/1 | 8.00 |
| Argentina | +650 | 4.92 | 13/2 | 7.00 |
| Spain | +800 | 5.83 | 8/1 | 9.00 |
| Germany | +1000 | 7.03 | 9/1 | 11.00 |
| Belgium | +1200 | 10.61 | 14/1 | 13.00 |
| Portugal | +1200 | 9.46 | 16/1 | 15.00 |
| Netherlands | +1200 | 8.25 | 12/1 | 13.00 |
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