Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo has broken a historic jinx that had followed him throughout his World Cup career, scoring his first-ever goal in the knockout rounds of the tournament during Portugal's Round of 32 clash with Croatia at the 2026 World Cup. "The Don" proved once again that age is merely a passing number in his legendary career, leaving his mark on the scoresheet at 41 years and 147 days old.
The goal shattered a long-standing record held by his former teammate and veteran defender Pepe, who had claimed that historic distinction at the 2022 Qatar World Cup when he scored against Switzerland at the age of 39 years and 283 days. With that, Ronaldo surpasses a generation of giants and stands alone as the oldest scorer in World Cup knockout history.
"The Don's" participation in the 2026 World Cup has added to a collection of records he is writing in his sixth World Cup appearance. Not only is he now the oldest player to score in a knockout match, but he also entered the history books as the first player to find the net in six consecutive different editions of the World Cup. He further extended his lead as Portugal's all-time top scorer at World Cup finals, surpassing the legendary Eusébio, and proving that his passion for football burns with the same intensity with which he began over two decades ago.