Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo reach a new record together

There is no doubt that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the best players of today and for that reason, both will reach a new record, but they will do it together for the first time. 

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And although the fact that they will reach a record together may surprise more than one due to the supposed rivalry between the two, the FIFA numbers do not lie. 

What new record did Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo set together?

Both players will reach the record of being the players with the most World Cups played, thus joining the select group of players who share this honor and in which there are 2 Mexicans. 

With their national teams with the ticket to Qatar 2022 in hand, the two players will reach side by side the record of 5 World Cups played, once the tournament starts and both take the field. 

At 37 and 34 years old, Messi and CR7 respectively will join the club of soccer players who have played the most World Cups, a club in which there are other outstanding players. 

In addition to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, which other players have played in 5 World Cups?

Antonio "La Tota" Carbajal

The first player to have achieved this record was Mexican Antonio Carbajal, popularly nicknamed "La Tota", goalkeeper of the Mexican National Team that played in the 1950, 1954, 1948, 1962, and 1966 World Cups. 

Carbajal was an essential part of the Mexican team in the World Cups he played in and for 32 years he was nicknamed "El 5 Copas" (The 5 Cups) since no one in all that time had managed to equal his feat of having played in more World Cups than any other player. 

Lothar Matthäus

The former German soccer player and coach were able to reach Carbajal's record until 1998, after having played in the World Cups of 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, and the aforementioned 1998, he was a star of Bayern Munich.

In addition, on December 14, 2020, he was included as a defensive midfielder in the historical Dream Team of the Ballon d'Or. Another of his feats was that in 1999, at the age of 38, he was chosen as the best German footballer of the year, which he had already won in 1990.

Gianluigi Buffon

The eternal goalkeeper of the Italian national soccer team, he was the keeper of his nation's gate at the 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014 World Cups, although he will retire with the bad taste in his mouth of not having reached Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.

But "Gigi" will end his career with many, many more achievements, such as being the most-capped player for the Italian national team, of which he was its captain, as well as being the only active player on the FIFA 100 list. 

Rafaél Márquez

The defender of the Mexican National Team, of which he was a captain in 3 World Cups, played in 5 of these tournaments: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018.

He is the third player with the third-highest number of international representations with 148 and also has a UEFA Champions League cup in his trophy cabinet. 

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