2023-06-19 12:04:51
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, the player who plays the most in international matches, stands in front of a new achievement tomorrow, Tuesday, when he wears the Portuguese national team shirt for the 200th time in his career, as he visits Iceland in the 2024 European Cup qualifiers.
Ronaldo achieved with the “Brazil Europe” team all possible titles except for the World Cup and reserved for himself and his numbers a whole page in the history of the team that presented a large number of stars to the world of the round witch.
Suffice it to say that the “Madeira missile” is the historic scorer for his country and the international scorer throughout the ages, with a number that is difficult to break even after decades.
These are the most prominent moments and stations of the “Don” international march, which began 20 years ago:
Ronaldo made his international debut at the age of 18 when he came on as a substitute for Luis Figo in August 2003 against Kazakhstan. He played his first major tournament the following year when his country hosted the European Cup 2004. He scored his first international goal after entering a substitute in the sudden loss against Greece in the group stage, before Portugal fell against it again in the final in which Ronaldo was essential.
1⃣ @Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first @selecaoportugal goal aged 19 #OnThisDay in 2004! It’s been some journey since…
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⚽️ 88 goals???? EURO 2016
???? Nations League pic.twitter.com/O2rIPFOqC1— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 12, 2019
First goal in the World Cup
At the age of 21 years and 132 days, Ronaldo became the youngest scorer for his country in the World Cup finals after he translated a penalty kick against Iran in the group stage of the 2006 World Cup Germany.
In the quarter-finals against England, he protested at the referee, asking him to send off striker Wayne Rooney after the latter stepped on Ricardo Carvalho. Ronaldo appeared on camera winking at his then Manchester United teammate when he was sent off.
Ronaldo successfully took the decisive kick in the penalty shootout, but Portugal fell in the semi-final against France.
Leader ✅ Legend ✅ Future coach❓
???????? Injured captain @Cristiano Ronaldo displays his relentless drive as Portugal secure EURO 2016 title ???? pic.twitter.com/7lHsmH0Ose
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) February 2, 2021
Portugal was eliminated from the quarter-finals of the European Cup 2008 and the eighth final of the World Cup 2010, and then the semi-finals of Euro 2012 and the group stage of the 2014 World Cup.
However, Ronaldo and Portugal finally achieved the first title in the history of the national team by defeating France in the 2016 European Cup final.
CR7 scored 3 goals on the way to the final as well as the decisive kick against Poland in the quarter-final penalty shootout. But he had to go out crying on the stretcher in the 25th minute of the final due to injury.
Eder scored the winning goal for Portugal after extension, so Ronaldo finally raised the first title in the history of the national team.
“It wasn’t the final I wanted, but I’m very happy,” he said during the festive tour in Lisbon. “It was a title for all Portuguese, for all immigrants, for all the people who believed in us, so I’m very proud.”
What an Insane player ????#Ronaldo #Cristiano Ronaldo #ronaldooooo #CR7
What a way to start the campaign 1st game Hatrick
Absolute Legend ⚽️????#FifaWorldCup2018 #BY #PORESP #SPAIN VS PORTUGAL #spapor
We are in for some Summer ahead #FifaWorldCup2018 #Russia2018 pic.twitter.com/uwLiuPckir— Amol (@amolkul19) June 15, 2018
Triad man
Ronaldo scored 8 “tricks” (hat-tricks) in his career with the national team and 4 “super hat-tricks” (4 goals). The majority have come against mediocre teams like Andorra, Armenia, the Faroe Islands, Lithuania (twice), Luxembourg and Northern Ireland.
But one of them gave Portugal a ticket to qualify for the 2014 World Cup when he scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 victory over Sweden in the second-leg qualifying round, noting that he also scored the goal of a clean victory in the first leg.
And the three-month remains the one he scored against Spain in the group stage of the World Cup Russia 2018, where the match ended 3-3 and Portugal qualified for the knockout stages.
And when Portugal hosted the finals of the first edition of the European Nations League in 2019, Ronaldo scored 3 goals in a 3-1 victory over Switzerland in the semi-finals in front of his fans in Porto.
His coach at the time, Fernando Santos, said after the match, “I was his coach in 2003 and I knew where he would reach. He is a genius, there are genius paintings and sculptures, and he is a football genius.”
Portugal beat the Netherlands in the final to claim their second international title.
Record holder
Ronaldo chased for a long time the record of the Iranian Ali Daei for the best international scorer throughout the ages, to finally achieve his goal, writing his name in the history books.
The “Don” entered a match in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland in Faro in 2021 and is equal to Daei with 109 goals.
The goalkeeper saved a penalty kick taken by Ronaldo early, before Ireland took the lead on the outskirts of the first half.
Ronaldo broke the record for the Iranian star with a goal in the 89th minute, equalizing the score, before snatching the victory with a header in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
He commented at the time, “This record is mine and it is unique. I am very happy and this is a new (achievement) in my career.”
Since that time, the 38-year-old has raised his tally to 122 international goals.
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