Tonight in Toronto, two men who spent more than two decades rewriting soccer's record books share a pitch for what is very likely the last time in a World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric don't need introductions, but Thursday's clash between Portugal and Croatia gives their stories one more scene before the credits roll.
Traders on Polymarket are asking how many goals Cristiano Ronaldo will make in this World Cup. So far, CR7 has scored 2 already.
Polymarket Odds
Ronaldo's Six World Cups, by the Numbers
Ronaldo arrives at this crossroads with a résumé that keeps rewriting itself.
At 41, he already scored in six different World Cups, a run that started with a penalty against Iran in 2006 and now sits at 10 career goals, Portugal's all-time record at the tournament, ahead of Eusébio. In between came a single strike in both 2010 and 2014, a hat trick against Spain plus a winner over Morocco in 2018, one more in 2022, and this time around, a brace against Uzbekistan.
Ten goals across six tournaments and two decades speak for themselves:
- 2006 World Cup: 1 goal
- 2010 World Cup: 1 goal
- 2014 World Cup: 1 goal
- 2018 World Cup: 4 goals
- 2022 World Cup: 1 goal
- 2026 World Cup: 2 goals (so far)
One Last Dance for Two Real Madrid Teammates
There's history behind tonight's matchup that runs deeper than the scoreline.
Ronaldo and Modric spent six seasons together at Real Madrid, winning four Champions League titles between 2012 and 2018, the Portuguese finishing plays, the Croatian setting the tempo behind him. Now 41 and 40, they're about to become the first pair of outfield players over 40 to face off in a World Cup match.
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has waved off any talk of a countdown clock: "Age is just a number," he said, adding that what matters is the example a player sets in the locker room. Croatia's players have echoed the sentiment, with goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic vowing the squad will help Modric's run go a little longer.
There's also a quieter storyline Polymarket has tracked for weeks: whether the cameras catch Ronaldo in tears before his run ends. Given his history: sobbing after the Euro 2004 final, breaking down against Morocco in 2022, kneeling in tears after his 900th career goal, traders currently lean toward yes.
What the Prediction Market Says About Ronaldo's Night
Prediction markets are weighing in on the captain's night too.
On Polymarket, the odds of Ronaldo reaching 3-plus World Cup goals sit around 60%, up nine points recently, which tracks given he needs just one more after his double against Uzbekistan.
The numbers thin out from there: 36% for 4-plus, 20% for 5-plus, and 9% for 6-plus, all sliding over the past day as traders price in a quieter Ronaldo since the midpoint of the group stage. Whether tonight is the night he answers that skepticism, the way he's answered it in every "Cristiano is finished" cycle since 2006, is what's left to find out.
A Global Following, Whatever the Passport
Part of what makes this farewell different is who's tuning in. Streamer iShowSpeed and Belgian influencer Celine Dept, neither of them Portuguese, made headlines this year simply for getting close enough to meet their idol, proof that Ronaldo's pull has outgrown Portugal's borders long ago.
By full time in Toronto, one legend will have played his last World Cup match. The other keeps dancing, at least for one more round.
