Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted he does not need to win the FIFA World Cup to complete his silverware collection.
The 39-year-old scored the 900th goal of his senior career on Thursday by netting for Portugal in a 2-1 win over Croatia in the opening game of their UEFA Nations League campaign.
Ronaldo led Portugal to victory in the first ever Nations League Finals back in 2019 – three years after his team triumphed at Euro 2016 in France.
But the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star – who now plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr – has never gone beyond the semi-finals at the World Cup, despite scoring in five consecutive tournaments.
Ronaldo helped Portugal finish fourth at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but they then failed to progress further than the round of 16 at the next three editions before bowing out in the quarter-finals in Qatar in 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 900th goal of his senior career as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1
Ronaldo was overcome with emotion after reaching the impressive landmark on Thursday
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The next World Cup, which is taking place in Canada, Mexico and the USA, starts in June 2026 – four months after Ronaldo’s 41st birthday.
It is currently unclear whether Ronaldo will still be playing for Portugal by then.
When asked about the World Cup after Thursday’s win over Croatia, Ronaldo gave a nonchalant response.
‘Portugal winning a Euros is equivalent to a World Cup,’ he declared. ‘I’ve already won two trophies for Portugal that I really wanted.’
Ronaldo added: ‘I’m not motivated by that. I’m motivated to enjoy football and records appear in a natural way.
‘I don’t chase records, they’re the ones who chase me.’
Ronaldo – who has won 33 team trophies during his senior career – has spent much of his adult life being compared to Argentina captain Lionel Messi.
Portugal captain Ronaldo has scored at five World Cups – in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022
Ronaldo has never won the World Cup but he did help Portugal conquer Europe back in 2016
Messi and Ronaldo are the two most common names mentioned in football’s GOAT (greatest of all time) debate.
Public perception and status clearly matter to Ronaldo, who questioned the validity of the Ballon d’Or award after Messi won the prize for a record-extending eighth time last year.
Ronaldo has now scored 62 more goals than Messi, but the Inter Miami skipper still holds a trump card after skippering Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar.
