They continue to defy the logic of the sport and are capable of performing at a high level in the final stretch of their careers. But, it seems, the 2026 World Cup will be the last for superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
This is not merely a celebrated farewell, a tour to applause in North America. The two are going to the World Cup – which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, from June 11th to July 19th – with a real ambition to fight for the title and expand their already incredibly impressive CVs.
Just by taking the field, they will break a record. They will be the first players to participate in six editions of the competition. But listing Lionel and Cristiano’s numbers gets tiring.
To stay in goals, both are close to the thousandth: Ronaldo has 969; Messi, 905. And Messi has the possibility of becoming the top scorer in World Cup history – with 13, he needs three to equal the current leader, German Miroslav Klose.
They currently operate in rich but sportingly peripheral markets. In Saudi Arabia and the United States, the 41-year-old Portuguese and the 38-year-old Argentine are prolonging their careers and producing remarkable statistics as they prepare for the final World Cup.
Cristiano, from Al Nassr, has 36 games in the 2025/26 season, including five for Portugal in the Qualifiers, with 31 goals and four assists. In North American football, the season follows the Gregorian calendar: in 2026, Messi, from Inter Miami, played 12 times (twice for Argentina), with nine goals and one assist.
The long-lived stars adapted their football. If before they started from the sides of the field obliterating defenders, they now position themselves closer to the goal. In the case of Ronaldo, an excellent finisher, like a true center forward. Lionel has now become a second striker, someone who hovers around the area, in the half-moon region, waiting for the moment to use his talent in a short space.
“Year after year, we always try to improve some aspect. With age, we lose some skills, and it is necessary to make an adjustment. If a player wants to have longevity, he needs a great power of adaptation. It is no coincidence that I have been at the highest level for more than 20 years”, said the Portuguese.
“I changed my playing style because of the moment, the situation and my age. I’m adapting a little to everything. I started to reinvent myself,” said the Argentine, who will turn 39 in June, during the World Cup.
Messi did not confirm his participation in the competition. Leader of the Albiceleste title in 2022, he initially treated the sequence as a farewell, but remained in the team. Whenever asked about the subject, he responds that the decision about 2026 will depend on his physical and mental state.
“You know what I think about the matter,” declared national team coach Lionel Scaloni. “It’s not just Argentines who want to see him in the World Cup, it’s the whole world. But it’s his decision.”
At this point, except in the case of a more serious injury, the number 10’s presence in the World Cup is a near certainty. The possibility of bi – Argentina maintained its champion base in Qatar, won the 2024 Copa América and easily led the South American Qualifiers – presents itself as a chance too good to be refused.
In Cristiano’s case, there is no mystery. He, who never went beyond the semifinals in the World Cup, probably never had teammates of such a high level. If in the past it had to carry limited versions of the Portuguese team on its back, today it has extremely high-level midfielders, such as Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes.
Led by Spaniard Roberto Martínez, the Portuguese team has not yet regularly shown collective football commensurate with their individual talents. Even so, they secured a place in the World Cup with the leadership of their group in the Qualifiers and won the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Nations League last year, with a penalty shootout triumph over Spain.
“Let’s enjoy the moment, live in the moment,” said Ronaldo.
He is the only player with goals in five World Cups. Messi is the only one with assists in five World Cups. They will be in North America battling for an even greater place in football history.
