Cristiano Ronaldo joins Miroslav Klose in number of World Cup matches played
By OnzeActu · · 1 min read
Starting the match against Uzbekistan, Cristiano Ronaldo took his total to 24 World Cup appearances, joining Germany's Miroslav Klose and becoming one of the three most capped players in the history of the tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to write the history of world football. At 41, the Portuguese striker was lined up from the start for the second day of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, pitting Portugal against Uzbekistan. This meeting marks the 24th appearance of the Lusitanian captain in the World Cup finals, a total which allows him to reach the legendary Miroslav Klose, former German international.
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Thanks to this performance, Ronaldo enters the top three of the most present players in the history of the World Cup. He thus overtakes Paolo Maldini, the Italian defender who stopped playing 23 matches. Ahead of him, only Lothar Matthäus (25 matches, Germany) and Lionel Messi (28 matches, Argentina) have more matches at this level.
At the time the information was revealed, the match between Portugal and Uzbekistan was still underway, with a 2-0 lead for Ronaldo's teammates. A new feat for one of the greatest players of all time, who continues to write his name in the annals of the World Cup.