The 2026 FIFA World Cup began on Thursday with a thrilling match between Mexico and South Africa. Mexico secured a 2-0 victory at the iconic Estadio Azteca. Julian Quinones scored the first goal of the tournament within nine minutes, and Raul Jimenez extended the lead to 2-0 in the 67th minute.
Meanwhile, another prominent storyline is emerging around Portugal, highlighted by ESPN’s Ryan O’Hanlon. He suggests this could be Team USA’s World Cup moment, raising questions about Portugal’s prospects. A key statistic is that no player over 40 has ever won a World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo, who turned 41 in February, faces this historical challenge. The oldest player to ever win was Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff, at 40 years old, in 1982.
Ronaldo is participating in his sixth World Cup, a record-setting achievement, yet without a win. Despite his storied career, the World Cup remains elusive. This is seen as his last opportunity to achieve it. Over the last year, Ronaldo reached over 970 career goals, including 28 with Al Nassr, and led Portugal with 143 career goals. He scored five goals in World Cup Qualifying matches in 2025.
The current Portugal team is considered one of the strongest, featuring talents like Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Rafael Leao, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, and Bernardo Silva. Despite the formidable squad, the challenge of aging remains, with history not on Ronaldo’s side.
Portugal begins their World Cup journey in Group K on June 17 against DR Congo in Houston, faces Uzbekistan on June 23, and concludes with Colombia on June 27 in Miami.
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