Key Highlights
- Cristiano Ronaldo is set to break the FIFA record for men’s international caps with his 197th appearance for Portugal in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Liechtenstein.
- Roberto Martinez, Portugal’s national team manager, has selected Ronaldo to play in the upcoming match.
- Ronaldo missed the opportunity to beat the record during the recent World Cup in Qatar but is now poised to make history with just one more international appearance.
Cristiano Ronaldo is poised to beat the FIFA mark for men’s international caps with a 197th appearance if he plays tomorrow.
Nairametrics gathered that Portugal’s national football team manager, Roberto Martinez, has chosen the legendary forward for Portugal’s opening Euro 2024 qualifying match against Liechtenstein.
Ronaldo recently lost out on beating the 197th appearance mark during the recent World Cup finals in Qatar.
What you should know
At the age of 18, Ronaldo replaced Luis Figo in a friendly match against Kazakhstan, earning his first Portugal uniform. On his eighth appearance against Greece, he netted his first goal for his country. Against the Republic of Ireland, he scored twice to beat Ali Daei’s previous record of 109 goals for men’s players in international competition.
The five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or is presently tied with Kuwait forward Badr Al-Mutawa, who played against Morocco for his 196th appearance during the World Cup in Qatar. A call-up was made possible by the ex-Manchester United player’s goal-scoring success at Al Nassr, and with just one more international appearance, he would set yet another mark.
In case you missed it
When Ronaldo scored two goals against the Republic of Ireland in September, he eclipsed Ali Daei’s previous record of 109 for the most goals scored by a male player in international competition.
Since then, the 38-year-old has scored 118 goals for his country. Al-Mutawa accomplished the accomplishment during Kuwait’s 3-0 loss to Jordan in the Asian Cup qualifying round for 2023. The forward presently competes for Qadsia SC in the Kuwait Premier League and has tallied 56 goals for his nation.
Ronaldo had previously won the championship in 2021, but FIFA later recognized Malaysia’s Soh Chin Ann as having 195 points instead. In the Saudi Pro League on Saturday, Ronaldo struck an incredible long-range free kick as Al-Nassr overcame a goal deficit to defeat Abha 2-1.Nine goals have been tallied by the Portuguese forward in his first season in Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo scored his first goal at Al-Nasr’s Marsool Park arena since moving to Saudi Arabia on the 78th minute.