Cristiano Ronaldo Equals World Cup Qualifying Goal Record
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has matched the World Cup qualifying goal record of 39, set by Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz.
The Al-Nassr striker scored in Portugal’s 3-2 win over Hungary on Tuesday during a World Cup qualifier.
The match was full of drama. Hungary scored first, Portugal came back to lead, then Hungary equalised late in the game. But João Cancelo scored in the 86th minute to give Portugal the win at the Puskás Arena in Budapest.
Ronaldo’s goal came from the penalty spot and was his 39th in World Cup qualifying matches.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star now needs just one more goal to become the top scorer in World Cup qualifiers on his own.
Ronaldo still has four more chances to break the record, with matches against Ireland (twice), Hungary, and Armenia still to come in the 2026 qualifiers.
