Cristiano Ronaldo Strikes Again: Penalty Goal Rewrites Football History Books

Cristiano Ronaldo found the net once more and equaled yet another milestone as Portugal secured an entertaining 3–2 triumph against Hungary on Tuesday night.

The seasoned striker netted from the penalty spot in the 58th minute to put his team ahead 2–1, bringing his World Cup qualifying goal count to an impressive 39. Only former Guatemalan striker Carlos Ruiz shares this achievement in the competition, while Lionel Messi and Iranian legend Ali Daei both accumulated 36 goals.

In contrast to Messi—who completed his final World Cup qualifier for Argentina in a touching farewell this past weekend—Ronaldo has additional opportunities ahead to overtake Ruiz. Portugal has four remaining qualifiers in the 2026 World Cup campaign, including upcoming matches against Armenia, Hungary, and two encounters with the Republic of Ireland.

Though some might dismiss a penalty kick against Hungary as insignificant, Ronaldo's mere presence on the field deserves recognition.

Hungary's captain, Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai, served as a ball boy during Ronaldo's previous World Cup qualifying encounter with the nation. Three players in Tuesday's starting lineup hadn't been born when Portugal's timeless captain began his international career 22 years ago.

Ronaldo's transformation from curly-haired playmaker to clinical finisher is evident in his international scoring statistics. Prior to age 30, the Portuguese icon netted once every 2.3 appearances. Throughout his thirties, this rate improved dramatically to one goal per 1.2 matches. In the early phase of his forties, Ronaldo has maintained six goals across six appearances.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Record for Portugal Through the Ages

For context, Ronaldo has netted more goals for Portugal since turning 30 (89) than any player of any age has ever scored for England, Brazil, France, Spain, or Italy.

Eventually, Ronaldo will need to decelerate. However, that moment hasn't arrived yet.