Football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are on course to achieve a remarkable feat at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first players to feature in six editions of the tournament. Joining them in the history books is Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who has also been selected for a sixth World Cup squad.
All three stars made their World Cup bows at Germany 2006 and have remained part of football’s biggest spectacle for two decades. While Messi is expected to lead Argentina’s title defence and Ronaldo spearhead Portugal’s challenge, Ochoa’s call-up for Mexico places him among an elite group of players with six World Cup selections.
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Despite sharing the global spotlight and competing in the same five previous World Cups, Messi and Ronaldo have never crossed paths at the tournament. Their only encounter at international level came during a friendly in Geneva in 2011, although they have famously battled each other 35 times in club football.
Ronaldo heads into his sixth World Cup appearance with Portugal aiming to capture the nation’s first-ever world title. The veteran forward debuted in Germany in 2006, scoring once in six matches as Portugal finished fourth.
The Portuguese captain further cemented his legacy at Qatar 2022 by becoming the first footballer to score in five different World Cup tournaments. His historic penalty against Ghana in Portugal’s opening match secured that milestone.
To date, Ronaldo has amassed 22 World Cup appearances, contributing eight goals and two assists. Portugal arrive in North America in strong form after an impressive qualification run that saw them lose just once in 13 matches, recording 10 victories and two draws. Their latest competitive outing produced a commanding 9-1 triumph over Armenia.
Messi, meanwhile, is preparing for another World Cup campaign as reigning champions Argentina open their title defence against Algeria in Kansas City.
The Argentine icon was only 18 years old when he made his World Cup debut in 2006. He featured in three matches and scored his first tournament goal against Serbia and Montenegro during the group stage.
Over the years, Messi has rewritten the record books. He currently holds the record for the most World Cup appearances with 26 matches and the highest number of minutes played at the tournament with 2,314.
The 38-year-old is also Argentina’s leading World Cup scorer with 13 goals, placing him fourth on the all-time scoring chart, just three behind Germany’s record-holder Miroslav Klose.
In addition, Messi shares the record for most World Cup goal involvements with Brazilian great Pele, boasting 21 combined goals and assists. He remains the only player to have found the net in every knockout stage of the competition, including the group stage, Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
Both Messi and Ronaldo have been central figures for their nations across six World Cup cycles, starring in South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
Ochoa’s path, however, has been somewhat different. Although he was included in Mexico’s squads for Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010, he did not play a single minute in either tournament.
His breakthrough on the World Cup stage came in Brazil 2014, where he produced a series of outstanding displays. After keeping a clean sheet against Cameroon, he delivered memorable performances against Brazil, Croatia and the Netherlands.
Ochoa maintained his role as Mexico’s first-choice goalkeeper at Russia 2018, helping El Tri record notable victories over Germany and South Korea before their campaign ended in the Round of 16 against Brazil.
At Qatar 2022, the experienced shot-stopper featured in all three group-stage matches. However, Mexico narrowly missed out on advancing after drawing with Poland, losing to Argentina and defeating Saudi Arabia.
Now, with a sixth World Cup appearance within reach, Messi, Ronaldo and Ochoa are poised to add another extraordinary chapter to their already remarkable international careers.
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