The veteran forward silenced criticism in Houston with a clinical brace, delivering the kind of decisive display that once again underlined his reputation for stepping up on the biggest stage. The goals not only secured three points but also restored confidence after questions had been raised about his influence in the previous match.

Ronaldo later admitted the period leading into the game had been difficult, describing it as a “dark week” following claims from critics suggesting he “had already retired from football.”

Those doubts intensified after Portugal’s earlier 1-1 draw with DR Congo, where he struggled to make an impact, and some began to question whether his era at the top level was coming to an end.

Speaking to Sport TV after the match, he reflected on the pressure and his response:

“I know that whoever works hard, God helps him. It was a tough week, a dark one, it started as if I had retired from football. But I held on as I always hold on because I believe in work more than football. It was tough, I have to admit, but we came back.”

On the pitch, however, Ronaldo answered in the most familiar way possible—by scoring goals. His performance in Houston was widely praised as a return to top form, with his movement, finishing, and leadership all drawing attention throughout the game.

After the final whistle, he celebrated passionately, repeatedly pointing toward the cameras and shouting, “I’m back! I’m back!”—a moment that quickly spread across social media and reignited global discussion about his longevity.

He later carried that emotion onto Instagram, posting images of his celebration with the caption “estamos aqui,” meaning “WE ARE HERE!” a message that many fans interpreted as a direct response to his recent critics and a statement of intent for the rest of the tournament.

 

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The Portugal captain became the first male player ever to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments after finding the net in Portugal’s clash against the Uzbekistan national football team. The strike, which came early in the sixth minute, marked another extraordinary milestone in a career already defined by record-breaking achievements.

At 41, Ronaldo continues to defy expectations about age and decline. While debates around his form and long-term role in the national team have intensified in recent years, moments like this serve as a reminder of his enduring ability to deliver on the biggest stage when it matters most.

Heading into the fixture, there had been growing scrutiny over his recent international scoring drought and his overall influence in open play. Analysts pointed to a stretch of games without a goal in major tournaments, raising questions about how much he could still contribute at the highest level. But once again, Ronaldo responded in the way he has built his legacy—by producing a decisive moment when the pressure is highest.

Cristiano Ronaldo: The first man to score at six #FIFAWorldCup tournaments pic.twitter.com/i6IxCcXl8o

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 23, 2026

His goal also extends a remarkable pattern of consistency that spans more than two decades of World Cup football, beginning with his first appearance at the tournament and continuing through six separate editions. It is a level of sustained performance very few players in the sport’s history have ever come close to matching.

While the conversation around Portugal’s tactical evolution under Roberto Martínez continues, Ronaldo’s latest milestone ensures he remains central to the story. Whatever the broader debate may be, his ability to turn moments into records is still very much intact.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has once again carved his name deeper into football’s history books after a record-breaking performance in Portugal’s World Cup qualifying clash against Hungary.

The Portuguese icon is now the outright leading scorer in World Cup qualifying history, netting 41 goals in 50 appearances. Before his latest heroics, Ronaldo was level with former Guatemala striker Carlos Ruiz, who held the joint record with 39 goals.

The 40-year-old captain continues to redefine longevity in football. His brace against Hungary not only secured Portugal a crucial win but also pushed his overall international tally to 143 goals in 225 appearances, a run that began with his senior debut back in 2003 at just 18 years old.

His latest strikes came after Portugal fell behind early at the Estadio José Alvalade, with Hungary’s Attila Szalai opening the scoring. But Ronaldo quickly took charge of the game, equalizing in the 22nd minute before turning the scoreline around in first-half stoppage time.

The goals marked his first World Cup qualifying strikes of the year, helping him stretch his lead over long-time rival Lionel Messi, who currently sits on 36 goals in 72 qualifiers.

At 40, Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down. His sharpness, leadership, and unmatched hunger remain as fierce as ever, driving Portugal closer to another appearance at the World Cup.

With every goal, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to remind the world why he is one of the game’s greatest ever, a legend whose name is destined to live on long after the final whistle.

🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo’s incredible goal-scoring record for Portugal!

🌏 World Cup Qualification—41 goals
🇪🇺 Euros Qualifiers—41 goals
🏟️ International Friendlies-22 goals
🇪🇺 UEFA Nations League—15 goals
🇪🇺 UEFA Euros—14 goals
🪐 FIFA World Cup-8 goals
🌎 FIFA Confederations… pic.twitter.com/VQxw6Xv6MQ

— FIFA World Cup Stats (@alimo_philip) October 15, 2025

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Cristiano Ronaldo has outlined his retirement plans ahead of Portugal’s upcoming UEFA Nations League games. The Portuguese superstar, who has won numerous titles at the club level and led his national team to its first major victory at the European Championship in 2016, remains determined to continue his career.

Ronaldo holds the record for the most appearances (212) and goals (130) by any male player at the international level. Despite this, as Portugal prepares for their Nations League opener, Ronaldo insists that retirement is not on his mind.

When asked about the possibility of retiring from the national team, Ronaldo responded: “That’s all from the press. It never crossed my mind that my cycle had come to an end. Quite the opposite: it gave me even more motivation to continue, to be honest.”

Ronaldo, who is constantly under intense scrutiny, shared how he deals with criticism: “Criticism is great because, if it doesn’t exist, there’s no progress, and that’s normal. It’s always been like this, is it going to change now? It won’t, so I try to follow my path, be as professional as possible, help the club in the best way possible with my professionalism and not just with goals, assists, discipline, and example, because football is much more than just playing well or scoring a goal.”

He also highlighted the perspective of those who critique without firsthand experience: “The people who give their opinions have never been in a locker room. I think it’s normal and I often laugh because it’s the same thing as me talking about Formula 1.

How can I give my opinion on Formula 1 if I don’t know anything about tires, rims, or the weight of the car? It’s normal and that’s why, for me, criticism is good and part of it; it’s no problem at all.”

Ronaldo, who has expressed a desire to reach 1,000 career goals before retiring, has been in fine form for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

He now rejoins the Portuguese national team after being selected by Roberto Martinez for the start of another UEFA Nations League campaign, which kicks off against Croatia on Thursday.

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In a tightly contested quarter-final at Euro 2024, France edged past Portugal in a penalty shootout to secure a spot in the semi-finals. The match, which remained goalless after a lackluster 120 minutes of play, saw Joao Felix miss his penalty, proving decisive as Portugal bowed out of the tournament.

France, who have yet to score or concede from open play throughout the competition, now prepare to face Spain in the semi-finals. The game featured few clear-cut chances, with both teams resorting to long-range efforts in a cautious first half.

🇫🇷 France are faultless in the penalty shootout to advance 👏#EURO2024 | #PORFRA pic.twitter.com/6jdxFKs3XM

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 5, 2024

Portugal’s hopes were dashed, sealing their fate in the shootout. Despite late efforts from both sides in extra time, including a missed chance by Cristiano Ronaldo and a close header from Joao Felix hitting the side-netting, France held their nerve to advance.

The match underscored France’s resilience and defensive solidity, setting the stage for an exciting clash against Spain in the next round of Euro 2024.

Penalties

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• Cristiano Ronaldo announces his retirement date

Cristiano Ronaldo, a forward for Al-Hilal and Portugal, has revealed when he might ultimately decide to retire.

When questioned about when he could give up playing football, Ronald revealed this at the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. The player’s retirement date is the most talked-about question from the 38-year-old during the conversation.

He said,

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Cristiano Ronaldo has dropped hints that he might extend his playing career until the 2026 World Cup, setting an ambitious target for the Portugal national team.

In the earlier part of the year, Ronaldo achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first male player to reach 200 international appearances.

However, according to Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, the 38-year-old is now aiming to achieve 250 caps for his national team.

To reach this milestone, it is plausible that Ronaldo intends to participate in the 2026 World Cup finals, showcasing his dedication and desire to contribute to Portugal’s success on the international stage for an extended period of time.

“250 caps interests me”@Cristiano had a surprise for Roberto Martinez when he took over as Portugal coach. pic.twitter.com/PjxFAI9mP7

— Freddie Ljungberg (@freddie) December 22, 2023

In an interview with former Arsenal winger Freddie Ljungberg, Roberto Martinez, the Portugal manager, revealed a conversation he had with Cristiano Ronaldo after taking charge of the national team. Martinez shared, “He [Ronaldo] was very close to reaching 200 caps, something nobody has ever done before. I said [to Ronaldo], ‘Is 200 caps something that interests you or not?’ He said, ‘250 interests me.'”

With Ronaldo currently boasting 205 caps for Portugal, surpassing the previous record set by Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa, and having scored a world record 128 international goals, achieving the 250-cap milestone is now on his radar.

To fulfill this target, it suggests that Ronaldo may aim to participate in the 2026 World Cup, extending his illustrious career and showcasing a strong commitment to representing Portugal at the highest level until the age of 41.

Despite being 38 years old, Ronaldo is on track to finish 2023 as the leading male goalscorer globally, with 53 goals for both club and country. With his enduring goal-scoring prowess, the idea of him competing in the next World Cup seems plausible, especially considering it’s the one major trophy that has eluded him thus far.

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The UEFA European Championships 2024 group stage draw has been conducted, setting the stage for the tournament. The draw took place in Hamburg, and here are the groups:

Group A:
– Germany
– Hungary
– Scotland
– Switzerland

Group B:
– Spain
– Albania
– Croatia
– Italy

Group C:
– England
– Denmark
– Slovenia
– Serbia

Group D:
– France
– Austria
– Netherlands
– Play-off winner A (Poland, Estonia, Wales, or Finland)

Group E:
– Belgium
– Romania
– Slovakia
– Play-off winner B (Israel, Iceland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, or Ukraine)

Group F:
– Portugal
– Turkey
– Czech Republic
– Play-off winner C (Georgia, Luxembourg, Greece, or Kazakhstan)

The tournament is set to begin on June 14, 2024, with Germany hosting Scotland at the Allianz Arena at 8 p.m. BST. The top two teams from each group will advance to the last 16, joined by the four best third-place teams. The remaining three finalists will be confirmed in March after the conclusion of the play-offs.

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Joao Felix, who joined Barcelona on transfer deadline day, has expressed his happiness with his early experiences there.

In the last minutes of the summer transfer window, Barcelona signed the Portugal international on loan from Atletico Madrid, fulfilling the player’s self-described “dream” move to the Catalan club.

Since joining the team, Felix has established himself as a regular starter alongside Xavi Hernandez, making eight games, seven of which he started, and contributing to five goals.

Felix, who was representing Portugal on an international level, expressed his happiness in Barcelona and said he had now been able to “maintain a good level” in his speech.

“As you can see, I’m happy where I am, I feel good, confident and I feel like I’m going through a good moment. The most difficult thing is to maintain a good level, something that I have not achieved for some time in recent seasons,” he said.

“But I work every day and I always try to improve to correct those less positive aspects of myself. And yes, I am happy and going through a good time.”

Prior to joining Barcelona, Felix struggled throughout his time at Atletico Madrid. The club’s record-breaking £113 million transfer failed to make an impact at the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano. He did not reach double digits in La Liga in any of his four seasons with Atleti; his best season came in 2021–2022, when he scored a pitiful eight goals.

The 23-year-old also talked about the contrasts between playing for Barca and Atleti in a recent interview, revealing that he thinks the former’s playing style better fits his strengths.

“As I have said several times, the difference between Barcelona and Atletico can be seen in everything, in the team, the club. We can see the way Barcelona play compared to Atletico. It is not bad, but I have adapted better to the way that Barcelona plays. Now I’m happy and it’s the most important thing,” he said.

“Barcelona is a big club, everyone knows their way of playing. I’ve adapted very well, but the most difficult thing is to keep this level up.”

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Cristiano Ronaldo, who has always enjoyed special occasions, delivered in typical style by scoring the winning goal the same night he received recognition from Guinness World Records for his 200th international appearance.

Ronaldo, a forward for Al-Nassr, was awarded a Guinness World Records certificate for having the most male player international caps.

The closest to Ronaldo’s tally is Bader Al-Mutawa, who was capped by Kuwait on 196 occasions.

Ronaldo celebrated appropriately by giving Portugal a 1-0 victory over Iceland in the 89th minute. Iceland had been reduced to ten men after Willum Thor Willumson was dismissed from the game.

The 38-year-old scored a poacher’s finish on Goncalo Inacio’s header and erupted in jubilation.

After a brief wait, VAR approved the goal after it had been first ruled offside during the buildup.

In August 2003, Ronaldo made his senior team debut for Portugal against Kazakhstan.

With 123 goals, he also holds the all-time scoring record for Portugal.

Ronaldo achieved success in the Nations League in 2019 in addition to helping Portugal win the European Championship in 2016.

Ronaldo became the first male player to score in five World Cups at the World Cup in Qatar last year.

He also has ten international hat-tricks, which is the most in history.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been awarded a Guinness World Record for the most international caps for a male football player 🥇 pic.twitter.com/Xm0q4oF8TG

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) June 20, 2023

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Cristiano Ronaldo has reached yet another remarkable milestone with the Portugal national team during their match against Iceland.

With 122 goals for the Portugal national team, Ronaldo has already established himself as the leading goalscorer in men’s international football. With the Selecao, he has now added another achievement to his resume.

In his 200th international appearance, Ronaldo led Portugal against Iceland in a UEFA European Championships qualifier, becoming the first male player in the sport’s annals to reach the milestone.

200 – Cristiano Ronaldo will tonight become the first player to make 200 appearances in men's international football, 19 years and 304 days after his Portugal debut. Unlimited. pic.twitter.com/qS2t7ZlDuo

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 20, 2023

Despite switching to the Saudi Arabian league, the Al-Nassr attacker has maintained his spot in the national team and might yet play for Portugal at Euro 2024, when he will be 39 years old.

The forward, who is now 38 years old, made his international debut for Portugal while still only 18 years old in a friendly match against Kazakhstan.

After surpassing the records for goals scored and appearances made in international football, Ronaldo has gone on to become a legendary figure for the Portugal national team and for international football in general.

Along with the UEFA Nations League championship shortly after, he also helped Portugal win the 2016 Euros, the first major prize in the nation’s history.

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Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has provided an explanation for his choice to include Cristiano Ronaldo in the “new cycle” of the team.

Ronaldo captained Portugal at the 2022 World Cup under former manager Fernando Santos after departing Manchester United under a cloud of scandal, however, due to his lacklustre play in the knockout rounds, Goncalo Ramos took his position.

Ronaldo’s days playing for Portugal’s national team appeared to be limited at 38 years old given the country’s abundance of offensive skill. However, after taking over in January, new coach Martinez has included him in both of his teams and cited the forward’s leadership and experience as justifications.

The Spanish tactician told talkSPORT: “I was appointed on January 9 and had six weeks with the starting point of meeting every player who was in that list of 26 players in Qatar. So you’re talking about going to the five top leagues in Europe, going to Saudi Arabia and being in Portugal and it was fascinating to see every player and how they developed their roles in different dressing rooms in different leagues. At that point you get the opportunity to meet the person behind the footballer and for me, it was a very clear moment.

“I met all the players and in that you see what it means to play football and where they are in their careers. For Cristiano, he wasn’t ready to step away. He was ready and wanting to be a part of the new cycle and at that point it was very easy to include him into the March camp, and then you can make a football decision. He scored four goals, he was a real leader, a captain and someone who brings an experience that no other player has in world football. He’s someone who can reach 200 caps for your country and someone who needs to be used in your dressing room.”

Martinez’s choice to start Ronaldo in Portugal’s previous European qualifying matches against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg was undoubtedly justified.

The Al-Nassr captain created history by being the first player to play in two men’s international matches, and Portugal amassed an enormous eleven goals to win Group J.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner will undoubtedly captain Portugal in their next European matches against Bosnia at home and Iceland on June 17 and 20, respectively.

Os Escolhidos 🫡 Estes são os convocados para os jogos de qualificação para o Europeu! #VesteABandeira pic.twitter.com/X8Za6Dp9hl

— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) May 29, 2023

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