Cristiano Ronaldo continues to shatter records at the age of 40, now standing as the all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. During the match against Hungary on October 14, he scored two goals, bringing his total to 41 in this category, surpassing the previous record held by Carlos Ruiz of Guatemala, who scored 39 goals.
Despite Ronaldo’s performance, Portugal could not secure a victory, ending the match in a 2-2 draw after Hungary equalized in injury time. Ronaldo’s first goal came in the 22nd minute, leveling the game after Portugal had conceded a goal in the 8th minute. This marked the 947th goal of his career, quickly followed by his 948th.
Ronaldo’s second goal put Portugal ahead 2-1 just before halftime at the José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon. With his 41 goals in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Ronaldo holds a five-goal lead over Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
Most goals in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
| Players | Goals |
|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) | 41 |
| Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala) | 39 |
| Lionel Messi (Argentina) | 36 |
| Ali Daei (Iran) | 35 |
| Robert Lewandowski (Poland) | 33 |
Following the match, Portugal’s coach Roberto Martinez acknowledged his team’s failure to manage the final minutes effectively. He stated, “We didn’t manage the game in the last 10 minutes well enough. If you don’t kill the game you need to know how to manage it until the end. Today we stopped playing and Hungary equalised.”
