Cristiano Ronaldo made history on Tuesday against Hungary, becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup qualifiers.
The Portugal striker, aged 40, scored his 40th and 41st qualification goals, surpassing Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz, who held the previous record with 39 goals from 1998 to 2016.
After 22 minutes, Ronaldo converted Nelson Semedo’s cross to level the score at 1-1 in the 2026 Cup qualifiers. Before halftime, he struck again from Nuno Mendes’s assist, giving Portugal a 2-1 lead.
Had Roberto Martinez’s team held on, they would have secured a spot in the upcoming World Cup in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
However, Hungary’s captain Dominik Szoboszlai equalized in stoppage time, forcing Portugal to wait for qualification.
Cristiano Ronaldo, already football’s all-time leading international scorer with 143 goals, aims to feature in his sixth World Cup next year.
“It’s always special to score for Portugal,” said Ronaldo. “Records motivate me, but winning for my country matters most.”
