Cristiano Ronaldo has defined the global soccer stage alongside Lionel Messi for more than two decades, pushing each other to unprecedented heights with record after record. Now, with Portugal, Ronaldo has achieved a milestone Messi will never touch, becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup qualifiers.
Portugal faced Hungary on Tuesday in Matchday 2 of the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers ahead of the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In front of a packed Puskás Aréna, Barnabás Varga opened the scoring in the 21st minute before Bernardo Silva leveled for Portugal in the 36th. But early in the second half, Ronaldo stepped up to break the deadlock.
In the 56th minute, Bruno Fernandes delivered a corner that struck Loïc Nego’s hand, prompting referee Eric Lambrechts to award a penalty. Ronaldo stepped up and calmly buried a low shot to his left, leaving goalkeeper Balázs Tóth helpless despite diving the right way.
Cristiano Ronaldo claims another international record
The goal was Ronaldo’s 39th in World Cup qualifying, moving him level with Guatemalan legend Carlos “Pescadito” Ruiz as the competition’s all-time top scorer. The Portuguese forward had already pulled ahead of Messi on Saturday against Armenia, when he scored twice to reach 38.
Messi, meanwhile, struck twice against Venezuela last week to take his total to 36, but the Inter Miami star confirmed that was his final appearance in World Cup qualifying. With his international future now focused solely on tournaments, Messi has officially bowed out of this particular race.
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Portugal currently sits at the top of Group F with six points from two games. With four qualifiers left in November, Ronaldo not only has the chance to lead Portugal toward a ticket to the 2026 World Cup but also to claim the record outright and extend it beyond reach.
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