Considering his entire career, it would be no surprise or debate if Ronaldo were to be among the greatest players in the history of world football.
In fact, the superstar born in 1985 is the number one icon of Portuguese football, a Real Madrid legend, and has left a lasting mark at Man Utd.
Ronaldo's class has been proven at the EUROs with the Portuguese national team and in the Champions League while playing for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
Thanks to his brilliance on those big stages, CR7 was honored with five prestigious individual awards, including the Ballon d'Or.
Despite having participated in five World Cups, Ronaldo has never scored in the knockout rounds of the tournament.
However, the biggest football event on the planet has a different measure. The list of the 50 greatest players in World Cup history doesn't evaluate their entire careers, but only what each player has left behind in this tournament.
Ronaldo's problem isn't his overall greatness, but rather that his World Cup legacy hasn't lived up to the stature of his career.
The biggest reason is that the Portuguese captain has never scored in a knockout match in the five World Cups he has participated in. For a player renowned for his ability to decide big matches, this detail is a clear drawback.
The contrast is even more striking when compared to the Champions League. In European club competitions, Ronaldo scored 67 goals in the knockout rounds, including 4 in finals.
He is the "king" of the Champions League, but the World Cup has never witnessed the most decisive version of CR7.
To date, Ronaldo has participated in five World Cups, a record-breaking achievement. He is also the only player to have scored in all five tournaments he has participated in. However, these milestones are more about his consistency and experience than his decisive performance in big matches.
Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could also become the first players to participate in six World Cups if they continue to compete in the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
However, consistency doesn't equate to a great legacy at the World Cup. An easy goal or a penalty in the group stage might flatter the statistics, but it's not enough to enshrine Ronaldo in the tournament's pantheon.
The 2006 World Cup was perhaps Ronaldo's best tournament. He was only 21 years old then and helped Portugal reach the semi-finals. However, the most memorable moment was the "wink" after Wayne Rooney was sent off in the quarter-finals, before Ronaldo successfully converted his penalty kick, contributing to England's elimination.
In 2010, Ronaldo captained Portugal but only scored one goal, which was his seventh in a 7-0 victory against North Korea. Portugal were subsequently eliminated in the round of 16 by Spain.
In 2014, Ronaldo wasn't at his best despite having just scored 61 goals for Real Madrid and helped the club win their 10th Champions League/European Cup title. He scored a late goal against Ghana, but Portugal were still eliminated from the group stage.
The 2018 World Cup was Ronaldo's most brilliant individual moment, with a hat-trick against Spain in a 3-3 draw. He also scored the decisive goal against Morocco, but remained silent when Portugal lost to Uruguay in the round of 16.
At the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo's image faded even further. He scored from a penalty, but was then benched by coach Fernando Santos in the round of 16. His replacement, Goncalo Ramos, went on to score a hat-trick in the 6-1 victory against Switzerland.
Ronaldo could arrive at the 2026 World Cup with a record of 226 appearances and 143 goals for the Portuguese national team. But to truly join the ranks of World Cup legends, he needs a real moment in the knockout rounds, rather than relying solely on his current consistency.