# World Cup 2026: Why Cristiano Ronaldo Hasn’t Played on U.S. Soil in 4,337 Days

URL: https://technosports.co.in/world-cup-2026-cristiano-ronaldo-hasnt-play-u-s/  
Published: 2026-06-17  
Updated: 2026-06-17  
Author: Ankush Mallick

More than a decade has passed since **Cristiano Ronaldo** last played a football match in the **United States**.

That is set to change on **Wednesday afternoon in Houston, Texas**, when **Portugal** open their **[World Cup](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026)** campaign against **DR Congo** at the NRG Stadium. **Ronaldo, 41**, is arguably the most famous footballer on the planet and is likely playing in what could be his final **World Cup** — though with the **2030 tournament** scheduled to be held in Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, assumptions about Ronaldo’s retirement have a habit of being premature.

Despite his global commercial appeal and iconic status, the Portugal captain has not played a game on American soil since **2 August 2014** — with either his national team, Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United, or current club **Al Nassr**. That is **4,337 days** and counting.

## When Did Ronaldo Last Play in the United States?

The last time **Ronaldo** appeared in a match on U.S. soil was an **International Champions Cup** tie on **2 August 2014**, when his **Real Madrid** side lost **3-1** to his former club **Manchester United**.

Ronaldo started on the bench but came on as a second-half substitute.

The game was played at **Michigan Stadium** in front of a crowd of **109,318** — a figure that remains the **largest single-game attendance in United States history**.

![World Cup 2026](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/International-Champions-Cup-2014-Real-Madrid-v-Manchester-United-1024x598.jpg)
*2 August 2014: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo runs toward the ball during a Guinness International Champions Cup match between Manchester United and Real Madrid, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Manchester United won 3-1 to advance to the tou*

In the time since that match, **Ronaldo** has played for Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United, and Al Nassr at club level, and represented Portugal at multiple European Championships and World Cups — all without setting foot on American soil in a competitive or pre-season context.

**Portugal** beat the **USA 2-0** in a friendly in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in March, but **Ronaldo** was again absent — left out of **Roberto Martínez’s** squad for both that game and a subsequent match against Mexico in Mexico City. **Al Nassr** head coach **Jorge Jesus** said Ronaldo had travelled to Spain to undergo treatment for a hamstring injury.

## The White House Visit

**Ronaldo** has visited the United States since 2014 — most notably when he attended a **black-tie dinner at the White House** in November alongside **U.S. President Donald Trump**, **Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman**, and **FIFA president Gianni Infantino**, among other business leaders.

**President Trump** name-checked Ronaldo during his opening remarks: “***My son is a big fan of Ronaldo — wherever Ronaldo is here. And Barron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you***.”

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Cristiano-Ronaldo-at-a-White-House-dinner-in-November-1024x683.jpg)
*Cristiano Ronaldo at a White House dinner in November*

But attending events is not the same as playing football. The pitch at the **NRG Stadium** on Wednesday will be the first time Ronaldo has been involved in a match on American soil in nearly 12 years.

## The Las Vegas Allegation: The Full Background

To understand **Ronaldo’s** complicated relationship with the United States, it is necessary to revisit events that began in **the summer of 2009**.

Weeks before his transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid, Ronaldo — then **24** — visited Las Vegas with his brother-in-law and cousin. They were staying in a suite at the **Palms Place Hotel** when, on the evening of **12 June 2009**, Ronaldo met a former schoolteacher named **Kathryn Mayorga** at a nightclub called Rain.

**Mayorga**, then 25 and working as a model, alleged that she and a friend were invited back to Ronaldo’s hotel suite, where she claimed she was raped by him in a bedroom — allegations **Ronaldo has always strenuously denied**.

When Mayorga went to the **Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department** the following day, she decided against naming Ronaldo or identifying the location in her complaint.

In **January 2010**, Mayorga reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo’s lawyers — Ronaldo was not present during mediation — receiving **$375,000** in exchange for agreeing never to go public with the accusations, with the settlement explicitly not constituting an admission of guilt.

## What Happened Next

In **2017**, Mayorga hired a new legal team and the allegation became public. The Las Vegas Police reopened the case and issued a warrant for a DNA sample from Ronaldo in January. His legal team described this as “a very standard request.” Six months later, it was determined that he would not face charges of sexual assault.

Mayorga and her team continued to pursue **Ronaldo** for civil damages. In October **2018**, Ronaldo posted a statement reading: “***I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense***.”

### The Current Status

The civil case is no longer active. In **June 2022**, **U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey** permanently dismissed it, stating that Mayorga’s lawyer, **Leslie Mark Stovall**, had harmed Ronaldo by acting in “bad faith” and by using “purloined” confidential documents.

A federal appeals court dismissed Mayorga’s subsequent appeal. **Stovall** was ordered to pay Ronaldo **more than $330,000 in legal fees**.

## The Suspension Drama: How Ronaldo Almost Missed the Opener

**Ronaldo** is only eligible to play in **Portugal’s World Cup opener** because of a specific decision by **FIFA’s disciplinary committee** regarding a suspension.

He was sent off on **13 November 2025** during Portugal’s penultimate World Cup qualifier against the **Republic of Ireland**, for swinging an elbow at defender **Dara O’Shea** in an off-the-ball incident. He was initially shown a yellow card, but the decision was upgraded to a red following a **VAR pitch-side review**.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ronaldo-World-Cup-qualifier-against-the-Republic-of-Ireland-1024x726.jpg)
*Dublin , Ireland – 13 November 2025; Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal gestures to the Republic of Ireland bench after being shown a red card during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F Qualifier match between Republic of Ireland and Portugal at the Aviva Stadium in Du*

The **FIFA** committee extended his automatic one-game ban to **three matches** — but suspended the final two **“under a one-year probation period”**. This means Ronaldo avoids missing additional fixtures provided he does not “commit another infringement of a similar nature” within 12 months.

Had the committee not suspended those final two games, Ronaldo could have missed Portugal’s World Cup opener against **DR Congo** entirely.

## Portugal’s Group and Ronaldo’s Schedule in the U.S.

**Portugal** are considered overwhelming favourites to advance from **Group K**, with a **96% chance of reaching the round of 32** according to The Athletic’s simulator.

| Portugal’s Group K Fixtures | Date | Venue | Time (ET) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Portugal vs DR Congo | 17 June | Houston, NRG Stadium | 1pm |
| Portugal vs Uzbekistan | 23 June | Houston, NRG Stadium | 1pm |
| Colombia vs Portugal | 27 June | Miami | 7:30pm |

If **Portugal** win the group, they face a third-place team from Groups D, E, I, J, or L in the first knockout game in **Kansas City on 3 July**. A second-place finish sends them to face the **Group L runner-up in Toronto on 2 July**. A third-place qualification route would mean meeting the **Group L winner in Atlanta**.

Houston hosts the first two group games — meaning Ronaldo could play twice in the same American city before the tournament moves on.

## A Complicated but Inevitable Return

**Ronaldo’s** return to U.S. soil carries layers of history, legal complexity, and the kind of global attention that follows him everywhere. The **Las Vegas case** is closed. The **suspension** has been managed. The hamstring concern from March has been resolved.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ronaldo-1024x683.jpg)

At **41**, he is the oldest outfield player likely to feature at this **World Cup**. His record for **Portugal** remains extraordinary — a record **57 goals** in international appearances at European Championships and World Cups. He needs just **one more World Cup goal** to match the all-time record of **13** held by **Just Fontaine** as France’s leading scorer at the tournament.

Wednesday in Houston will be the simplest description of all: **Cristiano Ronaldo playing football in the United States for the first time in 4,337 days**.

Read More: [FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I: France vs Senegal Match Report – Mbappé Makes History as France Beat Senegal 3-1 in Opener](https://technosports.co.in/fifa-world-cup-2026-group-i-france-vs-senegal/)  
Also Read: [FIFA World Cup 2026: Argentina Preview – Can Messi Do What No World Champion Has Managed Since 1962?](https://technosports.co.in/fifa-world-cup-2026-argentina-preview-can-messi/)  
Continue Reading: [FIFA World Cup 2026: Jordan Preview – Their 40-Year World Cup Dream Is Finally a Reality](https://technosports.co.in/fifa-world-cup-2026-jordan-preview-40-yr-dream/)

## FAQs

### When did Cristiano Ronaldo last play a match in the United States?

Ronaldo last played in the U.S. on 2 August 2014, when his Real Madrid side lost 3-1 to Manchester United in an International Champions Cup match at Michigan Stadium — the largest single-game attendance in U.S. history (109,318).

### Why has Ronaldo had a complicated relationship with the United States?

In 2009, Ronaldo was accused of sexual assault by Kathryn Mayorga following an alleged incident in Las Vegas. He has always strenuously denied the allegations. The civil case was permanently dismissed by a U.S. District Court in June 2022, with Mayorga’s lawyer ordered to pay Ronaldo more than $330,000 in legal fees.

### Why was Ronaldo almost suspended for Portugal’s World Cup opener?

Ronaldo was sent off on 13 November 2025 for swinging an elbow at Republic of Ireland defender Dara O’Shea. FIFA’s disciplinary committee extended the ban to three matches but suspended the final two under a one-year probation, allowing him to play against DR Congo.

### How old is Cristiano Ronaldo at the 2026 World Cup?

Ronaldo is 41 years old and is likely playing in his final World Cup, though the 2030 tournament is scheduled to be co-hosted by Portugal — leaving open the possibility, however slim, of a further appearance.