Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't stop. At 40, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner continues to stack records with disconcerting regularity. This Tuesday evening in Lisbon, against Hungary, he made history again. A double scored in one half, two goals which add to an already impressive collection. But this time, these two achievements carry particular weight. They place him alone at the top of a statistic that no one had ever reached before him.
Ronaldo, an already crazy collection of records
CR7 becomes the top scorer in the history of the World Cup qualifying phases. With 41 goals in 50 matches played, he surpasses Guatemalan Carlos Ruiz and takes sole possession of this record. A symbolic milestone reached against Hungary, twenty-one years after his first qualifying goal, scored against Latvia in June 2004. Since then, he has never stopped scoring. A staggering longevity, a regularity that defies time.
This new record adds to an already endless list. Ronaldo is the top scorer in the history of men's teams with 142 goals in 224 appearances. The first European to exceed the 100 international goal mark, he also holds the record for goals in qualifying for the Euro (41) and in the Nations League (14). Figures that make you dizzy. And they probably won't stop there.
A double and a record for Cristiano Ronaldo
The 2026 World Cup in sight
With this double, Ronaldo proves that he remains a major asset for Portugal in the race for the 2026 World Cup. If he participates, he will become the first player in history to play in six editions of the World Cup (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026). An unprecedented feat of longevity. He is still 52 goals short of reaching the legendary mark of 1,000 career goals, clubs and selection combined. At this rate, nothing seems impossible.
Miroslav Klose's record in the World Cup finals (16 goals) remains out of reach with only 8 goals in five editions for Ronaldo. But in Lisbon this Tuesday, no one thought about it. We were celebrating a new chapter in the CR7 legend. Forty years old, still as hungry, still as decisive. It’s the game of time passing. Ronaldo refuses to comply.
