Ronaldo becomes the first European to score 100 international goals
Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo became the first European to surpass the 100-goal mark in international football. He reached the milestone in the UEFA Nations League match against Sweden. Ronaldo scored a brace as Portugal beat Sweden 2-0 to stay atop League A, Group 3. The senior forward continued his superb run for the national team. We look at his international records.
Ronaldo within touching distance of Ali Daei
Portugal skipper Ronaldo curled a stunning free-kick into the top corner - the 57th of his career - to reach the 100-goal landmark. The 35-year-old then fired in a fine second from outside the box. Ronaldo needs nine goals to set the world record for most international goals. Former Iran stalwart Ali Daei hit 109 during his playing career from 1993 to 2006.
A look at the key numbers
As per Opta, Ronaldo has scored 54 goals with his right foot and 22 with his left. He has amassed 25 headers. He has netted 80 goals from inside the box, whereas, 21 have come from outside. He has now scored for Portugal in 17 successive calendar years. His best tally came in 2019, when he amassed 14 goals.
Ronaldo is getting better with age
Ronaldo, who made his 165th appearance for Portugal, has scored almost half of his international goals since his 30th birthday - 49 goals in 47 games.
Notable records held by Ronaldo for Portugal
Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Switzerland in the semi-final of the Nations League Finals. He had become the first player to score in 10 consecutive international competitions. On September 10, 2019, Ronaldo scored four goals in a 5-1 away win over Lithuania in an Euro 2020 Qualifier. He surpassed Robbie Keane (23) as the player with most goals in the Euro Qualifiers.
Ronaldo has dominated the scenes
Ronaldo has amassed five goals in the Nations League so far. He has amassed a record 31 goals in the European Qualifiers. 30 goals have come in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. He has won two major trophies (Euro 2016) and Nations League 2018-19.
