More than a decade has passed since Cristiano Ronaldo last played a football match in the United States. That changes on Wednesday night in Houston, Texas, when Portugal begin their World Cup campaign against DR Congo, a tournament that also marks Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup appearance, matching rival Lionel Messi’s record.
Despite his global appeal, the 41-year-old forward has not played on American soil since 2 August 2014, a gap of 4,337 days, with either his national team, Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United or his current club, Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. His last US appearance came when Real Madrid lost 3-1 to former club Manchester United in an International Champions Cup tie at Michigan Stadium, watched by a record crowd of 109,318, still the largest single-game attendance figure in the country.
Portugal beat the US 2-0 in a friendly at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in March, but Ronaldo was missing again. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was left out of Roberto Martinez’s squad for that game and a fixture against Mexico after Al Nassr coach Jorge Jesus said he had travelled to Spain for treatment on a hamstring injury. Ronaldo has visited the US since 2014, most notably attending a black-tie dinner at the White House in November, but had never played a match there.
He only avoided missing this World Cup opener through suspension after FIFA’s disciplinary committee suspended the final two games of a three-match ban. Ronaldo was sent off on 13 November 2025 for an off-the-ball incident involving defender Dara O’Shea during a qualifier against the Republic of Ireland, with a yellow card upgraded to red following a VAR review.
For Ronaldo, the tournament carries deeper weight than ending his US absence. Twenty years ago, a 21-year-old Ronaldo came closest to realising his World Cup dream when Portugal lost 1-0 to France in the 2006 semi-final, a Zinedine Zidane penalty ending their run. It remains the nearest he has come to lifting the trophy. While Messi finally claimed the World Cup in 2022, that elusive medal has never arrived for Ronaldo.
Both men first played at a World Cup in the 2000s, with Messi making his debut in Germany in 2006 at the age of 18 before going on to feature in South Africa, Brazil, Russia and Qatar. Ronaldo’s own journey began even earlier, and the pair are now the only players in the 2000s generation set to reach a sixth tournament together in 2026.
Now, in what is almost certainly his farewell World Cup, redemption is on the table for Ronaldo. Should Portugal progress, he could even face Messi as early as the quarter-finals, a clash that would add fresh stakes to a rivalry that has defined two decades of football. Ronaldo holds the record for most international goals and appearances and has already led Portugal to a European Championship title, but only the World Cup would complete his legacy.
Argentina face Algeria at Kansas City Stadium in Group J, while Portugal play DR Congo at Houston Stadium in Group K, both fixtures forming part of a tournament already billed as a historic farewell for football’s two defining stars.
