Historic Achievements in World Cup Qualifying
In a thrilling matchup, Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name in history by becoming the joint all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup qualifying matches. This milestone was achieved during Portugal’s narrow 3-2 victory over Hungary on Tuesday, where Ronaldo converted a penalty kick, bringing his total to 39 goals in World Cup qualifiers. This achievement puts him on par with Carlos Ruiz, Guatemala’s former striker, who also holds the same record. Ronaldo had showcased his scoring prowess just days prior with two goals in a convincing 5-0 win against Armenia.
Ronaldo’s Enthusiasm and Upcoming Matches
After the match, the 38-year-old forward expressed his enthusiasm on social media with the caption,
“Two games, two wins, let’s go Portugal!”
With Portugal set to continue their qualifying campaign against Ireland on October 11, Ronaldo is poised to surpass Ruiz, who hung up his boots in 2016.
Messi’s Milestone in South American Qualifiers
On a different note, Lionel Messi made headlines as he finished as the leading scorer in the South American qualifying rounds for the first time in his illustrious career. Despite sitting out Argentina’s final qualifier, a 1-0 defeat to Ecuador on Tuesday, Messi concluded the qualifiers with eight goals, which placed him one goal ahead of Colombia’s Luis Díaz and Bolivia’s Miguel Terceros. Notably, Messi trails Ronaldo and Ruiz by three goals in the all-time qualifying goals tally.
Messi’s Impressive Career Stats
Recently, Messi scored twice in a dominant 3-0 victory against Venezuela, potentially marking his last competitive appearance on home soil at the age of 38. Over his international career, the Argentine captain has netted an impressive 114 goals in 194 appearances, while Ronaldo leads the pack in men’s international football with 141 goals across 223 matches for Portugal.
