Portugal and Al Nassr star forward Cristiano Ronaldo continues to add more records to his already impressive resume. By starring in Portugal’s 4-0 win over Liechtenstein in UEFA EURO qualifiers, Ronaldo broke the record for most international appearances.
Liechtenstein game was Ronaldo’s 197th on a senior international level, which is one more than the previous record holder, Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa, has. Ronaldo also scored two goals to commemorate his record-breaking appearance.
Ronaldo tied Al-Mutawa’s record during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but didn’t have a chance to break it as Portugal got knocked out in the quarterfinals. This was followed by doubts about his future on the team as his relationship with head coach Fernando Santos turned sour. Ronaldo was left on the bench in both matches of the knockout stage as Santos favored younger players.
Everything changed once Portugal’s Football Federation fired Santos and installed former Belgium boss Roberto Martinez as his replacement. Martinez made it clear that he still wanted Ronaldo on his team from the get-go, and even had him starting the game against Liechtenstein.
Ronaldo also holds the record for most goals scored on the international level. He surpassed Iranian Ali Dei’s 109 goals back in 2021 and currently has 120 goals in international tournaments and friendlies.
