Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a message on social media after becoming the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner shared his happiness at achieving the milestone and thanked his teammates and the fans for their support.
Ronaldo scored a brace in the first half as Portugal were held to a 2-2 draw by Hungary in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday, October 14. The Al-Nassr ace restored parity for his team in the 22nd minute after they went a goal down early in the match.
In doing so, he scored his 40th FIFA World Cup qualifier goal, overtaking the previous holder of the record, Guatemala's icon. Carlos Ruiz (39). Ronaldo then extended the record with another goal after he gave Portugal the lead in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.
Sadly, Ronaldo's brace was not good enough to secure maximum points as a late Dominik Szoboszlai goal (90+1) saw two sides share the spoils at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.
Following the game, the 40-year-old took to social media to acknowledge his latest achievement. He posted on X (FKA Twitter):
"It is no secret that representing the National Team means a lot to me, and that is why I am very proud to have reached this unique milestone for Portugal."
"Thank you to everyone who helped me get here. See you in November to seal the qualification for the World Cup!" Cristiano Ronaldo added.
Cristiano Ronaldo's brace saw him extend the gap over arch rival Lionel Messi, who has scored 36 goals in World Cup qualifiers. Additionally, it brings him just two goals shy of another huge milestone of 950 career goals, having scored 948 goals in 1291 matches for club and country.