FIFA on Monday officially released a list ranking footballers by the number of FIFA World Cup editions they have featured in, highlighting players who have appeared in four, five and six tournaments.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi had extended their record as the players to have appeared at the most FIFA World Cup editions, with both featuring in six tournaments with the duo’s appearance at the 2026 edition jointly hosted by US, Canada and Mexico.
The two superstars are followed by seven players who have appeared at five World Cups, while 60 others have featured in four editions.
FIFA’s list, published on August 17, 2026, ranks the players with the most World Cup appearances by edition, with Ronaldo and Messi alone at the top on six each.
The release on FIFA website, titled, “Men playing in the most World Cups,” highlighted players who played in the most editions of the FIFA World Cup.
Here is the full list:
1st) Cristiano Ronaldo – 6 World Cups
1st) Lionel Messi – 6 World Cups
3rd) Antonio Carbajal – 5 World Cups
3rd) Andres Guardado – 5 World Cups
3rd) Rafael Marquez – 5 World Cups
3rd) Lothar Matthaus – 5 World Cups
3rd) Luka Modric – 5 World Cups
3rd) Yuto Nagatomo – 5 World Cups
3rd) Manuel Neuer – 5 World Cups
Discover more
Legislative Branch
History
Politics news
Geographic Reference
Breaking news alerts
10th) Sami Al-Jaber – 4 World Cups
10th) DaMarcus Beasley – 4 World Cups
10th) Valon Behrami – 4 World Cups
10th) Giuseppe Bergomi – 4 World Cups
10th) Gianluigi Buffon – 4 World Cups
10th) Sergio Busquets – 4 World Cups
10th) Martin Caceres – 4 World Cups
10th) Cafu – 4 World Cups
10th) Tim Cahill – 4 World Cups
10th) Denis Caniza – 4 World Cups
10th) Fabio Cannavaro – 4 World Cups
10th) Iker Casillas – 4 World Cups
10th) Edinson Cavani – 4 World Cups
10th) Thibaut Courtois – 4 World Cups
10th) Kevin De Bruyne – 4 World Cups
10th) Angel Di Maria – 4 World Cups
10th) Samuel Eto’o – 4 World Cups
10th) Djalma Santos – 4 World Cups
10th) Diego Godin – 4 World Cups
10th) Ehsan Hajisafi – 4 World Cups
10th) Jordan Henderson – 4 World Cups
10th) Thierry Henry – 4 World Cups
10th) Hong Myungbo – 4 World Cups
10th) Andres Iniesta – 4 World Cups
10th) Alireza Jahanbakhsh – 4 World Cups
10th) Raul Jimenez – 4 World Cups
10th) Miroslav Klose – 4 World Cups
10th) Mateo Kovacic – 4 World Cups
10th) Mathew Leckie – 4 World Cups
10th) Hugo Lloris – 4 World Cups
10th) Romelu Lukaku – 4 World Cups
10th) Paolo Maldini – 4 World Cups
10th) Diego Maradona – 4 World Cups
10th) Javier Mascherano – 4 World Cups
10th) Hector Moreno – 4 World Cups
10th) Thomas Muller – 4 World Cups
10th) Fernando Muslera – 4 World Cups
10th) Neymar – 4 World Cups
10th) Nicolas Otamendi – 4 World Cups
10th) Pele – 4 World Cups
10th) Pepe – 4 World Cups
10th) Ivan Perisic – 4 World Cups
10th) Sergio Ramos – 4 World Cups
10th) Gianni Rivera – 4 World Cups
10th) Pedro Rocha – 4 World Cups
10th) Ricardo Rodriguez – 4 World Cups
10th) Mathew Ryan – 4 World Cups
10th) Karl-Heinz Schnellinger – 4 World Cups
10th) Enzo Scifo – 4 World Cups
10th) Uwe Seeler – 4 World Cups
10th) Xherdan Shaqiri – 4 World Cups
10th) Rigobert Song – 4 World Cups
10th) Son Heungmin – 4 World Cups
10th) Luis Suarez – 4 World Cups
10th) Franky Van der Elst – 4 World Cups
10th) Axel Witsel – 4 World Cups
10th) Xavi – 4 World Cups
10th) Granit Xhaka – 4 World Cups
10th) Wladyslaw Zmuda – 4 World Cups
10th) Andoni Zubizarreta – 4 World Cups
(Punch)
