At 40 years old, Portugal’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo has once again made history by becoming the highest goal scorer in World Cup qualifying matches.
On Tuesday evening, Ronaldo netted two goals against Hungary, elevating his total to 41 World Cup qualifying goals. This achievement surpasses the record/” title=”2025 Premier League Summer Spending … to Shatter £2.36bn …!”>previous record of 39 goals held by former Guatemala striker Carlos Ruiz, who set the benchmark between 1998 and 2016.
Ronaldo opened the scoring for Portugal in the 22nd minute, skillfully converting a cross from Nelson Semedo to erase Hungary’s early advantage. Before halftime, he found the net again, this time assisted by Nuno Mendes, giving Portugal a 2-1 lead going into the break.
Despite Portugal’s strong showing, their hopes of securing early qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup-set to take place across the United States, Mexico, and Canada-were dashed when Dominik Szoboszlai scored a last-minute equalizer for Hungary during stoppage time.
Although the match ended in a draw, Ronaldo’s remarkable display reinforced his legacy as one of football’s all-time greats. The five-time Ballon d’Or recipient, who holds the record for the most international goals by a male player with 143 strikes, has announced his ambition to participate in his sixth World Cup tournament next year.
