Quick Answer
Cristiano Ronaldo has played in 5 FIFA World Cup tournaments for Portugal – 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. He made his World Cup debut in 2006 and has played in 4 World Cups consecutively from 2006 to 2018. The 2022 World Cup is likely to be his last World Cup tournament.
Ronaldo’s World Cup Journey
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of football’s greatest ever players and has had an illustrious career playing for some of the best clubs in the world like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. However, success with his national team Portugal in the World Cup has eluded him thus far.
The FIFA World Cup is considered football’s biggest and most prestigious tournament. Every professional footballer dreams of representing their country in the World Cup and leading them to glory. Ronaldo is no exception. Ever since making his Portugal debut in 2003 as an 18-year old, he made playing the World Cup his biggest ambition.
Let’s look at Ronaldo’s journey in each of the 5 World Cups he has played so far:
2006 FIFA World Cup
Ronaldo made his FIFA World Cup debut in 2006 when the tournament was held in Germany. This was his first major tournament for Portugal. He was 21 years old at the time and had recently moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid.
Portugal were drawn in Group D alongside Angola, Iran and Mexico. Ronaldo started in all 3 group stage matches. In their opening match against Angola, he scored his first ever World Cup goal in a 1-0 win for Portugal. He scored again in their next match, a 2-0 win over Iran. Ronaldo got injured in the final group stage match against Mexico which Portugal lost 2-1.
In the Round of 16, Portugal faced a strong Netherlands team featuring the likes of Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Rafael van der Vaart. However, Maniche scored the only goal of the match to give Portugal a shock 1-0 win.
In the quarterfinals against England, Ronaldo was the center of attention as he was playing against his former Manchester United teammates like Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville. The match ended 0-0 after extra time and went to penalties. Though Ronaldo scored his penalty, Portugal ended up losing 3-1 in the shootout after misses from Petit and Hugo Viana.
This was still a commendable first World Cup for the 21-year old Ronaldo. Playing all 6 matches, he ended up scoring 1 goal.
2010 FIFA World Cup
After a disappointing Euro 2008 campaign, Portugal managed to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa under manager Carlos Queiroz. This was going to be Ronaldo’s second World Cup, now as Portugal’s undisputed talisman and the best player in the world after winning the Ballon d’Or in 2008.
Portugal were placed in Group G alongside Brazil, Ivory Coast and North Korea. In their opening match against Ivory Coast, Ronaldo was constantly marked by Kader Keita but managed to set up Portugal’s goal in a 0-0 draw.
In the next match against North Korea, Ronaldo finally made his mark by scoring in a 7-0 demolition of North Korea – the first time Portugal had scored 7 goals in a World Cup match. He also assisted a goal.
The final group match was against Brazil. Portugal lost 1-0 as Ronaldo failed to influence the match against a tough Brazilian defense marshalled by Juan, Lucio and Michel Bastos.
Finishing second in their group, Portugal faced Spain in the Round of 16. After ending 0-0 after extra time, Portugal lost 4-2 on penalties to the eventual champions. 31-year old Ronaldo scored his penalty, but misses from Hugo Almeida and Ricardo Costa knocked Portugal out.
Ronaldo scored 1 goal from 4 matches in his second World Cup as Portugal flattered to deceive again.
2014 FIFA World Cup
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup hosted in Brazil, Ronaldo was coming on the back of a sensational season winning the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid. He had also won his second Ballon d’Or in January 2014 and was at the very peak of his powers.
This was going to be third World Cup appearance for the 29-year old Ronaldo, now captain of Portugal and the best player in the world. Expectations were sky-high that he would lead Portugal to glory in Brazil.
Drawn in Group G with Germany, Ghana and USA, Ronaldo carried Portugal in the group stages. In the opening match against Germany, his lone goal was not enough as Portugal lost 4-0. Against USA, he scored another goal in a 2-2 draw. In the final match, he scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Ghana.
Thanks to Ronaldo’s 4 goals, Portugal finished second in the group and qualified for the knockout rounds. In the Round of 16 clash against Belgium, Ronaldo struggled as Belgium emerged victorious 1-0.
Ronaldo scored a total of 4 goals in 3 matches as once again Portugal underperformed and got knocked out in the Round of 16.
2018 FIFA World Cup
Portugal managed to qualify for the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia under manager Fernando Santos. Ronaldo had maintained his incredible goalscoring form for Real Madrid and had won 4 UEFA Champions League titles over the past 5 seasons.
Now 33 years old, Ronaldo was featuring in his 4th consecutive World Cup hoping to lead Portugal to that elusive trophy. Drawn alongside Spain, Morocco and Iran in Group B, this was billed as Ronaldo’s best chance to win the World Cup.
In the opening match against Spain, Ronaldo produced a footballing masterclass scoring a brilliant hat-trick to secure a 3-3 draw after Spain had taken the lead three times. It was hailed as one of the best individual World Cup performances as Ronaldo demonstrated his phenomenal commitment and leadership.
In the next match against Morocco, Ronaldo’s early header was the winner in a 1-0 result. This made him Europe’s all-time leading scorer with 85 international goals. In the final group game against Iran, Ronaldo missed a penalty in a 1-1 draw but still finished as the top scorer with 4 goals.
Portugal advanced to the Round of 16 to face Uruguay. But in a shock result, the Uruguayans emerged 2-1 winners as Ronaldo couldn’t make a mark. At age 33, this was likely his last realistic chance to lift the World Cup.
Ronaldo delivered his best ever World Cup performance by scoring 4 goals in 4 matches, but could not take Portugal beyond the Round of 16 once again.
2022 FIFA World Cup
After missing out on the Euro 2020 title following a Round of 16 loss, 37-year old Ronaldo is set to feature in his 5th FIFA World Cup in 2022 hosted by Qatar. This is a record for any Portuguese player.
Having recently moved back to Manchester United from Juventus in 2021, Ronaldo continues to defy his age by remaining Portugal’s main striker and scoring regularly. There were doubts if manager Fernando Santos would retain the veteran in a youthful squad, but Ronaldo proved his value by finishing as top scorer in World Cup qualifying with 10 goals.
Drawn in Group H with Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea, Ronaldo will be leading a new-look, young Portuguese side that combines experience with exciting youth like Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao and Joao Felix.
Now past his peak, Ronaldo may not be able to carry the team single-handedly anymore. But he is still capable of producing match-winning performances on the biggest stage with his intelligence and positioning in the box. If Ronaldo combines well with his younger teammates, Portugal have a strong chance to finally make a deep run in the 2022 World Cup.
No player has ever won the World Cup past the age of 38. Ronaldo will be looking to create history in likely his final World Cup by inspiring Portugal to glory. If Portugal are to win their first ever World Cup, Ronaldo will need to deliver another heroic individual performance like he did many times for his club.
Conclusion
To summarize, Cristiano Ronaldo has played 4 World Cups so far – in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 editions. The 2022 World Cup will be his 5th and likely last appearance on football’s biggest stage.
Ronaldo made his debut as a 21-year old in 2006 and will end his World Cup journey at age 37 in Qatar. He has played a total of 17 World Cup matches for Portugal, scoring 7 goals in the process. Ronaldo has consistently been Portugal’s best performer, but has been unable to inspire them to progress beyond the Round of 16.
The 2022 World Cup represents Ronaldo’s final chance to complete his legacy by winning international football’s most coveted trophy. Ronaldo is Portugal’s greatest ever footballer and their all-time record caps holder and scorer. Lifting the World Cup trophy in Qatar would be the perfect swansong to his magnificent career.
