Portugal’s Diogo Dalot drops surprising truth about Ronaldo’s legacy beyond the World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo has one final opportunity to claim the only major trophy that has eluded him throughout his extraordinary career, and the 2026 World Cup in North America represents his last shot at completing the collection. Portugal teammate Diogo Dalot has weighed in on the matter, making clear that in his view, Ronaldo’s legacy does not hinge on the outcome, even if lifting the trophy would be a fitting crown to an unparalleled career.

Included in Roberto Martínez’s 27-player squad, Ronaldo is on course to become the first player in history to appear at six different World Cups, a record he would share with Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa. With Portugal entering the tournament as one of the stronger contenders and Ronaldo in form, the 41-year-old has a genuine shot at finally reaching the final stages of the competition.

In an excerpt from an interview on Cazé TV, Dalot made clear that the support for Ronaldo to go all the way extends far beyond Portugal’s borders: “I think it’s not just a Portuguese union, I think it’s also a global union of football. Because of everything that Cristiano has done, not only for Portugal but also for football itself, it would be beautiful for him to end his football career with a World Cup on his résumé.”

Yet for Dalot, the World Cup would simply add another layer of brilliance to an already peerless career rather than define it. “If you ask me: does he need a World Cup to be considered one of the best of all time? No, but I think it would bring more beauty to his career and it could obviously be a beautiful trophy for him to have, without a shadow of a doubt,” the Manchester United defender stated.

A teammate of Ronaldo both during his most recent spell at Manchester United and with the Portugal national team, Dalot was part of the squad that claimed the 2025 UEFA Nations League at the expense of Lamine Yamal’s Spain in the final. At 27, the defender belongs to the generation that has watched Ronaldo ascend to the summit of international goalscoring, and he will now have the chance to help him achieve what many would consider the ultimate prize.

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“I hope that happens because, beyond wanting him to win as a fan of his and as a football fan, I obviously also know that for my country it would be an important trophy. Being a part of that would be spectacular,” Dalot concluded.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s record in World Cups

The 2026 edition gives Ronaldo the chance to extend his record as the player to have scored at the most World Cups, having netted at each of the five editions he has appeared in since his debut in 2006. With 20 years separating that first World Cup goal from what lies ahead, the 41-year-old will be looking to add to a legacy that has been built across five tournaments.

2006 World Cup

In his World Cup debut at Germany 2006, Ronaldo opened his account with a goal against Iran and featured in all six of Portugal’s matches under manager Luiz Felipe Scolari. The Selecao reached the semifinal before falling to France, and then lost the third-place playoff, finishing fourth, which remains the second-best result in Portugal’s World Cup history after their third-place finish at England 1966.

2010 World Cup

Arriving in South Africa as the reigning Ballon d’Or winner and fresh off his first season at Real Madrid, Ronaldo carried enormous expectations into the tournament. He contributed a goal in a 7-0 demolition of North Korea in the group stage but could not prevent Portugal from being knocked out by eventual champions Spain in the Round of 16.

2014 World Cup

Ronaldo dragged Portugal through a dramatic playoff against Zlatan Ibrahimović’s Sweden to reach Brazil 2014, but the tournament itself proved to be his most difficult to date. Drawn into a group alongside eventual winner Germany, the USMNT and Ghana, Portugal were eliminated in the group stage, with Ronaldo managing just one goal across three appearances.

2018 World Cup

Russia 2018 began with one of the most memorable performances of Ronaldo’s World Cup career, a stunning hat-trick in a 3-3 draw against Spain that immediately announced Portugal as a team to watch. However, a 2-1 defeat to Uruguay in the Round of 16 ended their tournament, with Ronaldo exiting the competition earlier than many had expected.

Luis Suarez of Uruguay shakes hands with Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.

2022 World Cup

Qatar 2022 started promisingly with a penalty against Ghana in a 3-2 victory, but Ronaldo’s tournament quickly became more complicated. He was unable to score again, was limited to 16 minutes in the 6-1 rout of Switzerland in the Round of 16 having started on the bench, and then began the quarterfinal against Morocco as a substitute as well, coming on for just 39 minutes before a 1-0 defeat ended Portugal’s campaign.

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