Cristiano Ronaldo has etched his name in the history books after scoring a brace in Portugal's 2-2 against Hungary in FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday, October 14.
Cristiano Ronaldo becomes top scorer in FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Ronaldo has now scored 41 goals for his nation in the World Cup qualifiers and surpassed Guatemala's Carlos Ruiz, who has registered 39 goals. Lionel Messi holds third place in the list with 36 goals in World Cup qualifiers.
Ronaldo, now 40, continues to lead from the front for Portugal and is currently aiming to secure his nation's qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As of now, Portugal are top of their group, which includes Hungary, Armenia and Ireland.
Will Ronaldo play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup
It remains to be seen whether the former Manchester United player eventually competes in the tournament. Currently, he has a contract with AL-Nassr until the summer of 2027, which means he will be playing competitive football going into the tournament.
In the absence of a reliable alternate attacker, it is likely that Portugal will look to keep Ronaldo in this position. He has, of course, never won this tournament, which could be a motivation for him to play in the upcoming World Cup.
Overall, Ronaldo has made 225 appearances across all competitions for Portugal, scoring 141 goals in the journey.
Cristiano Ronaldo breaks Lionel Messi's forgetful record
Cristiano Ronaldo broke Lionel Messi's record after his penalty mistake and has now missed 34 penalties in his long career, consisting of four in the past year. However, Ronaldo has scored the most penalties and remains secure, having scored 177 out of his 211 penalties.
Previously, Lionel Messi had the feat of missing the most number of penalties with 32, but is currently second on the list. The Argentine has netted 113 out of his 145 penalties.