IF Tim Cahill can find the goal that puts him in an elite group of World Cup footballers, former Socceroo Robbie Slater reckons it would be the greatest ever achievement by an Australian sportsman.

Just one goal for Cahill at Russia 2018 will see him join legends Pele, Miroslav Klose and Uwe Seeler as the only players to score at four World Cups.

Cahill is already in elite company; the only two other players at this World Cup with an opportunity to join that legendary group are Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexican veteran Rafa Marquez.

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Slater admits the chances of Ronaldo scoring at least once in Russia are higher than Cahill’s, simply because the Portuguese star is guaranteed more minutes for his team, but if Cahill manages to pull off the feat it would top anything an Australian sportsman has previously achieved.

“It’s the biggest show on earth — nothing else would come close to (that achievement),” Slater said.

“Of course I’m very biased, but you’re talking about a major sport in the world, with names like Pele.

“So no disrespect to others — and we have some great champions in this country, the likes of Don Bradman — but there is nothing else that comes close.”

Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal scores for Portugal. Source: Getty Images

Cahill, Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Mexico’s Andres Guardado are the only players appearing in their fourth World Cup.

Marquez, 39, has the opportunity to appear in his fifth World Cup, but is unlikely to get much game time after he put his playing career on hold to fight drug charges.

For Cahill to even be among those names is an achievement in itself, particularly considering the difficulties the Socceroos have faced to qualify for World Cups in the past.

The 38-year-old has a total of five World Cup goals to Ronaldo’s three, and while Messi has also found the back of the net five times for Argentina, he failed to score at South Africa 2010.

Cahill knows his only opportunities to score will likely come off the bench, with Tomi Juric, Andrew Nabbout and Jamie Maclaren favoured to lead the Socceroos attack.

Despite struggling for minutes at Millwall, Cahill’s inclusion in the Socceroos squad for the World Cup came with the knowledge of his ability to change a game from the bench.

Something he will dig deep to do just one more time.

Meanwhile, Cahill on Friday insisted he’s yet to contemplate his playing career beyond this tournament.

“We train today. We train the day after and we play France. That’s all that’s in my mind,” he said in Kazan.