Messi, Ronaldo join Ochoa in World Cup history

A huge replica of the World Cup trophy is seen during the opening ceremony ahead of the 2026 World Cup Group A football match between Mexico and South Africa at the Mexico City Stadium in Mexico City on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP)

Football icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are set to make history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by becoming the first players to actively participate in six editions of the tournament, while Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa joins them as another player to be named in six World Cup squads, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The trio made their World Cup debuts at Germany 2006 and have remained fixtures on the global stage over the last two decades. While Messi and Ronaldo are expected to feature for Argentina and Portugal, respectively, in North America, Ochoa’s inclusion in Mexico’s squad makes him only the third player to reach the six-World Cup milestone. Curiously, despite dominating world football for nearly two decades and appearing at the same five previous World Cups, Messi and Ronaldo have never faced each other at the tournament. Their only international meeting came in a friendly match in Geneva in February 2011, although they have gone head-to-head 35 times at club level. Ronaldo returns to football’s biggest stage for a sixth time as Portugal chase their maiden World Cup title. The 41-year-old made his tournament debut in Germany in 2006, featuring in six matches and scoring once as Portugal finished fourth. The Portuguese superstar added another piece of history to his legacy at Qatar 2022 when he became the first player to score in five different World Cups. He achieved the feat by converting a penalty in Portugal’s opening 3-2 victory over Ghana. Since then, he has played 22 World Cup games, scoring eight goals plus two assists. Portugal arrive at the tournament among the favourites after an impressive qualifying campaign, having lost only once in their last 13 matches, winning 10 and drawing two. Their most recent competitive outing ended in a resounding 9-1 victory over Armenia. Messi, meanwhile, is expected to make his sixth World Cup appearance when defending champions Argentina begin their campaign against Algeria in Kansas City. Related News President Federation Cup semi-finalists set for showdown Top seed Abua zooms into CBN tennis q’finals Serena Williams defeated in Berlin ahead of Wimbledon return The Argentine legend was only 18 when he made his World Cup debut in 2006, making two substitute appearances and one start while scoring his first tournament goal against Serbia and Monten