Cristiano Ronaldo retires: Top records held by Portugal legend in international football
New Delhi: Portugal legend has announced his retirement from international football. His decision to quit international football comes days after he was punished by the Portuguese Football Federation for leaving the national team’s camp midway through their campaign in the Nations League last month.
Regarded as one of the best players of all time, Ronaldo will go down as arguably the best in Portugal’s history. The 41-year-old made his international debut for Portugal in 2003 and went on to establish his credentials as one of the best footballers in the world. He helped Portugal become a force to reckon with in Europe and finished his career as the highest goalscorer for his country.
Ronaldo retires as the highest goalscorer of all time in international football with 146 goals in 234 appearances for his country. He finishes ahead of his arch-rival Lionel Messi, who retired from international football earlier this year with 120 goals.
Top 5 records held by Cristiano Ronaldo in international football:
Highest goals in international football
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most goals in international football. He scored an impressive 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal in international football. Ronaldo is followed by Lionel Messi (120) and Iran’s Ali Daei, who scored 108 goals in 148 matches.
Most caps in international football
Cristiano Ronaldo also holds the record for the most caps in international football. The 41-year-old played 234 matches for his country after making his debut in 2003, which is the most for any player in international men’s football.
Scoring in six World Cups
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for being the only player to have scored in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo made his World Cup debut for Portugal in 2006 and scored for his national team in all six editions of the tournament that he featured in.
Most goals in a single Euros campaign
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for scoring the most goals in a single Euros campaign. He scored five goals for Portugal in the Euros 2020, which is the most by a player in a single edition of the tournament. Ronaldo scored 14 goals in 30 appearances for Portugal in the Euros and is the highest goalscorer in the competition’s history.