FARO, Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo became the highest-scoring man in the international soccer history with his 110th goal for Portugal on Wednesday.
The Portugal captain scored in the 89th minute against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, moving ahead of former Iranian striker Ali Daei. Earlier in the game, he had a penalty saved in the 15th minute.
The 36-year-old Ronaldo, who finalized his return to Manchester United on Tuesday after leaving Juventus, was playing in his 180th game for Portugal. The forward made his debut for the national team in 2003 and began his historic scoring run at the 2004 European Championship in a 2-1 loss to Greece in the group stage.
The only two men to net more than 100 times for their countries are Ronaldo and Daei, who scored 109 goals in 149 games for Iran from 1993-2006 and played for German clubs Bayern Munich and Hearth Berlin.
The most prolific scorer in international soccer is 38-year-old Christine Sinclair of Canada, who scored her 187th goal at the Tokyo Olympics where she won gold last month.
Ronaldo, whose only title with Portugal came at Euro 2016, was top scorer at this year’s European Championship with five goals in four games but his team’s title defense ended in the round of 16.
Ronaldo became the first player to score in five different editions of the continental tournament, taking his haul to 11 to overtake Michel Platini’s record of nine goals at Euros.
Ronaldo is also the top scorer in the history of the Champions League with 134 goals — 14 more than Lionel Messi, according to UEFA.
Ronaldo becomes highest scoring man in international soccer
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Ronaldo becomes highest scoring man in international soccer
- Portugal’s captain scored in the 89th minute against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier
- The only two men to net more than 100 times for their countries are Ronaldo and Iran’s Ali Daei
Sudan beat Equatorial Guinea for rare AFCON win
- Unlucky Torino center-back Coco saw the ball come off him and ricochet into the net in the 74th minute
CASABLANCA: Sudan boosted their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations after a Saul Coco own goal gave them a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea on Sunday.
Unlucky Torino center-back Coco saw the ball come off him and ricochet into the net in the 74th minute in Casablanca when his teammate Luis Asue attempted to clear a Sudan free-kick.
Sudan won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1970 but this is just their second victory in 18 matches across six appearances at the tournament since then.
They lie 117th in the FIFA world rankings, compared to Equatorial Guinea in 97th.
The win leaves Kwesi Appiah’s team on three points from two games in Group E, while Equatorial Guinea have lost both matches so far.
Sudan are competing at this AFCON in Morocco despite the country having been devastated since war broke out between the army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.
They will play Burkina Faso in their last group game on Wednesday and will be aiming to reach the knockout stages of the Cup of Nations for just the second time since that 1970 triumph — they got to the quarter-finals in 2012 before losing to eventual winners Zambia.
