Cristiano Ronaldo becomes oldest outfield starter in World Cup history

Cristiano Ronaldo set a new FIFA World Cup record on June 17, becoming the oldest outfield player to start a men's World Cup match at 41 years and 132 days during Portugal's Group-stage clash against DR Congo at the 2026 tournament.

The Portugal captain surpassed the previous record held by Canada's Atiba Hutchinson, who was 39 years and 296 days old when he started against Croatia at the 2022 World Cup.

The appearance also saw Ronaldo become only the second men's player to feature in six FIFA World Cups, joining Lionel Messi in an exclusive club. Ronaldo's World Cup journey began in Germany in 2006 and has since spanned tournaments in South Africa (2010), Brazil (2014), Russia (2018), Qatar (2022) and North America (2026).

Despite the personal milestone, Portugal were unable to secure victory in their opening match, settling for a 1-1 draw against DR Congo.

Roberto Martinez's side made an ideal start when João Neves headed home Pedro Neto's cross in the sixth minute to give Portugal an early lead. However, Portugal failed to build on their advantage and were punished in first-half stoppage time when Yoane Wissa headed in Arthur Masuaku's delivery to level the scores.

Portugal thought they had restored their lead shortly after the break through João Cancelo, but the effort was ruled out for offside. DR Congo then came close to taking the lead, with Cedric Bakambu striking the post after getting the better of Bruno Fernandes.

Late substitute Francisco Conceição injected urgency into Portugal's attack and created opportunities for Ronaldo, but the veteran forward was unable to convert as DR Congo held firm to earn a memorable point in their first World Cup appearance since 1974.

Ronaldo endured a frustrating evening, recording 25 touches and three shots, none of which were on target. He won just one duel and registered the second-fewest touches of his World Cup career in a starting appearance.

The stalemate also extended Ronaldo's goal drought in major international tournaments to 10 matches, adding to concerns over the 41-year-old's effectiveness on football's biggest stage.

While Ronaldo's latest record further cemented his place in World Cup history, Portugal were left disappointed after dropping points in a match they had been expected to win.