Cristiano Ronaldo added another feather to his cap as he equalled Iran striker Ali Daei’s all-time men’s football record of most international goals scored.
The Portuguese striker struck his 109th in Wednesday’s Euro 2020 game against France, keeping the defending champions alive in the competition.
The 36-year-old Ronaldo, the leading scorer in European Championship history, converted his second penalty of the game in Budapest to match the record in his 178th international appearance.
Ronaldo is the first player to appear at five editions of the men’s tournament and has scored five times in three Group F games. The Juventus striker has now scored 14 European Championship goals, five more than French great Michel Platini, who netted nine times when he led France to glory in 1984.
Canada’s Christine Sinclair has 186 goals, which is the all-time international record for most goals scored.
Here’s a look at some of the big numbers from Ronaldo’s record-equalling feat:
Most international goals in men's football
Rank | Player | Country | Int'l goals | Caps | Goals per match |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ali Daei | Iran | 109 | 149 | 0.73 |
2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 109 | 178 | 0.61 |
3 | Mokhtar Dahari | Malaysia | 89 | 142 | 0.62 |
4 | Ferenc Puskás | Hungary | 84 | 85 | 0.99 |
5 | Godfrey Chitalu | Zambia | 79 | 111 | 0.71 |
6 | Hussein Saeed | Iraq | 78 | 137 | 0.57 |
7 | Pelé | Brazil | 77 | 92 | 0.84 |
8 | Ali Mabkhout | United Arab Emirates | 76 | 92 | 0.83 |
9 | Kunishige Kamamoto | Japan | 75 | 76 | 0.99 |
9 | Bashar Abdullah | Kuwait | 75 | 134 | 0.56 |
11 | Sunil Chhetri | India | 74 | 118 | 0.63 |
🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo = Portugal legend 💪
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) June 23, 2021
🔝 1st Portuguese player to score in all 3 group games at a EURO
🔥 48 goals in his last 45 international matches
😮 7 goals in Portugal’s last 4 EURO group matches#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/0eaj5OWi2S
Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo has matched Ali Daei's men's international goal record...
— Goal (@goal) June 23, 2021
But he needs 77 more goals for #POR to catch Christine Sinclair 👀
Sinclair has 186 goals for the Canada women's national team 😱
International football's REAL all-time top scorer 🇨🇦#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/4tGbgFAEnZ
Only two men in international football history have scored 109 goals:
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) June 23, 2021
🇮🇷 Ali Daei
🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo
RECORD. EQUALLED. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/TGj51Q1RPF
🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo 🤝 milestones:
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) June 23, 2021
🔝 Equalled world record for international goals (109)
😎 All-time top scorer in EURO history (14)#UCL pic.twitter.com/JQVzZvHf5c
Iran legend Ali Daei congratulated Cristiano Ronaldo on equalling his all-time record of 109 international goals. ‘I am honoured that this remarkable achievement will belong to Ronaldo.’ pic.twitter.com/TEnkLYm1iw
— Asian Football (@AsianFootballs) June 24, 2021
⚽ 5 goals + 🅰️ 1 assist
— Arjun Pradeep (@IndianRegista) June 23, 2021
⚽ ⚽ Hungary
⚽ 🅰️ Germany
⚽ ⚽ France
🔝 ✅ All time EURO top-scorer
🔝 ✅ All time International top-scorer
😏 All this, in the Group of death
🐐 @Cristiano pic.twitter.com/YnIRPy8aXa
Saturday: Scores first goal vs. Germany
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 23, 2021
Today: Scores first goal vs. France
Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first player to score a combined 20 goals in Euros and World Cups 😤 pic.twitter.com/0Z1KMrvkd2
Cristiano Ronaldo top goalscorer of:
— Plesbolski (@plesbol_) June 24, 2021
✅ Euros
✅ Real Madrid
✅ Portugal NT
✅ Euros qualifiers
✅ All national teams
✅ World Cup + Euros
✅ Champions League
✅ All professional football
✅ European club competitions
✅ International club competitions
Gokil. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/MYPvSBhRrP