Cristiano Ronaldo remains laser focused on his goal of leading Portugal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer.
The Al Nassr forward turns 41 in February, but he’s vital to Roberto Martinez’s plans, as they look to power on to qualification.
Portugal kicked off their qualification campaign with two wins from two as Ronaldo & Co. brushed aside Armenia in a 5-0 win and edged out a 3-2 victory on the road in Hungary.
Ronaldo scored twice in Armenia – and netted from the penalty spot in Budapest – to bring his international tally up to 141 goals in 223 appearances for Portugal.
He remains well clear at the top of the all-time men’s international goal scorer and appearance maker lists ahead of his old foe Lionel Messi.
However his spot kick against Hungary also matched a historic World Cup record as Ronaldo’s chase for excellence continues.
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The veteran striker has now bagged 39 goals in World Cup qualifiers, bringing him level as the joint-highest ever scorer alongside Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz, and three ahead of Messi.Â
Top 5 scorers in World Cup qualifiers:
| Rank | Player | Country | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlos Ruiz | Guatemala | 39 |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 39 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 36 |
| 4 | Ali Daei | Iran | 35 |
| 5 | Robert Lewandowski | Poland | 32 |
As Ronaldo heads back to Riyadh, he’s in a strong position to overtake Ruiz in October, when Portugal face the Republic of Ireland and Hungary in the next phase of qualifiers.
Ronaldo has already achieved on historical milestone against Ireland as he broke the long-standing overall international goal record – previously held by Iran’s Ali Daei – with two goals against them in September 2021.
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