On Thursday, Cristiano Ronaldo made the most appearances for a man in international play. To celebrate, he scored twice in Portugal’s 4-0 hammering of Liechtenstein in the Euro 2024 qualifying match.
The 38-year-old earned his 197th cap for his nation in Lisbon as a starter after being benched from the Portuguese starting Lineup at the World Cup in Qatar last year.
After goals from Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva in the first half, he scored a penalty in the 51st minute before converting a free kick 12 minutes later.
It was Ronaldo’s 120th goal for his nation, breaking his previous record, and making him the first person to reach 100 goals in competitive international matches.
Ronaldo had already told reporters on Wednesday that “records are my motivation.”
“The player with the most caps in history is who I want to be. That would fill me with pride.
But that’s not all; I still want to be called up frequently.
Prior to Portugal’s quarterfinal loss to Morocco, Ronaldo made his debut for his country in 2003 and last year became the first player to score in five World Cups.
After a contentious finish to his second stint at Manchester United, he is presently playing for Saudi club Al Nassr.
Ronaldo’s appearance off the bench in the loss against Morocco matched Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait’s previous record of 196 appearances.
Ronaldo sobbed as he exited the field after Portugal’s unexpected 1-0 loss to the North Africans.
Ronaldo has scored nine goals in ten games for Al Nassr since leaving Europe.
During the World Cup, Goncalo Ramos took his spot as the starting striker, scoring a hat-trick for Benfica in a victory over Switzerland in the round of 16.
RONALDO CAPTAINS TEAM
However, seasoned manager Fernando Santos resigned after the competition, and new manager Roberto Martinez quickly put his faith in Ronaldo, who also served as the team’s captain.
Given that Ronaldo will be 39 by the start of the 2024 European Championship, there were concerns as to whether his 20-year international career had come to an end in Qatar.
Yet, Martinez, who resigned as Belgium’s head coach following the World Cup, has vehemently defended his choice to keep Ronaldo in the team.
The Spaniard remarked on Thursday that commitment is a requirement for membership in the national squad.
“This cycle is new. It is crucial for a player to demonstrate dedication and the ability to draw on his experience.
“That’s something Ronaldo has: a ton of experience and a ton of dedication to the national team.”
Portugal’s qualification campaign got off to the best possible start with a resounding victory over Liechtenstein.
In the eighth minute, Cancelo scored the solitary goal of the first half, but after the intermission, the floodgates opened.
Less than two minutes into the second period, Bernardo Silva extended the lead before Ronaldo buried a penalty shot into the bottom corner.
In order to complete the scoring, a fierce free kick from the edge of the box sailed through Benjamin Buchel’s fingertips.
Ramos was replaced by Ronaldo late in the game, delaying the much-anticipated changing of the guard.
Ronaldo now has an outstanding collection of personal milestones that includes the international appearance milestone.
With 14 goals in the European Championship finals, he holds the record for most goals scored in the Champions League, with 140.
In addition, Ronaldo has finished first in scoring in three of the top five leagues in Europe: England, Spain, and Italy.
In their second Group J qualifying match, Portugal will travel to Luxembourg on Sunday.
Moreover, they were drawn next to Slovakia, Iceland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
