Cristiano Ronaldo
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is increasingly seen as the “last dance” of a generation of stars that defined world soccer for nearly two decades.
A record of soccer longevity
Portugal have already included Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad for the 2026 World Cup, officially paving the way for his sixth Mundial. The 41-year-old forward will become the all-time record holder for the number of appearances in world championships.
Lionel Messi has not yet officially confirmed his participation in the tournament, but Argentine and international media report that the 2022 World Cup champion is continuing his preparations for his sixth World Cup.
For both players, the 2026 tournament will be a continuation of a career that has spanned more than 20 years at the highest level of world soccer.
Modric and a generation of departing stars
Luka Modric was also included in Croatia’s preliminary bid for the World Cup. For the 40-year-old midfielder it could be the fifth Mundial in his career (the Croatian national team failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa).
Soccer analysts and fans are increasingly calling the World Cup-2026 the end of the era of players who defined the face of world soccer since the mid-2000s. They also name Pole Robert Lewandowski, Brazilian Neymar, Belgian midfielder Kevin de Bruyne and Englishman Harry Kane among the potential participants of their last World Cup.
For the global soccer business, it also means a shift in global media symbols. For almost two decades, it was the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo that remained one of the key drivers of audience interest, television ratings and commercial appeal of FIFA tournaments.
