Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t play in Portugal’s latest World Cup qualifier, but he still became the talk of the internet. The 40-year-old striker shared a celebratory photo on social media after Portugal’s 9-1 win against Armenia,

He last played in the U.S. on August 2, 2014, when he came on as a substitute for Real Madrid against Manchester United in front of a crowd of 109,318 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. He last played for Portugal in the U.S. earlier that summer in a friendly game against the Republic of Ireland at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Here is an overview of Ronaldo’s World Cup record since his debut in the competition back in 2006. The Portuguese was merely a burgeoning star at Manchester United when the 2006 World Cup rolled around, with Ronaldo only beginning to mature from a flashy winger to a forward drenched in substance.

With Cristiano Ronaldo attending to the White House on Tuesday with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez shared his honest opinion on the star's visit.

Ronaldo has featured at all of those so far except the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. He has made 22 appearances for Portugal at World Cups, putting him fifth on the all-time list behind, Italy’s Paulo Maldini (23), Germany’s Miroslav Klose (24), Lothar Matthaus (25) and Messi (26).

Under the current ruling, Cristiano Ronaldo will be unavailable for Portugal’s final World Cup qualifier against Armenia on Sunday.

Portugal qualified for their 14th major tournament in a row last night, rubber-stamping their place at World Cup 2026 in style with a 9-1 trouncing of Armenia at Estádio do Dragão, in Porto.