Cristiano Ronaldo is showing no signs of slowing down, and with his latest goal-scoring feat for Portugal against Hungary, the 40-year-old showed why he is the GOAT in the football world.
It seems that Ronaldo has become accustomed to scoring, whether for club or country, and against the Hungarians, his hunger did not seem to diminish as he scored from the spot with pinpoint accuracy.
Cristiano Ronaldo Creates History
Ronaldo, who is already leading the charts in terms of the all-time leading scorer in international football (141) and international career goals (943 and counting), also etched his name further into the record books when he became the joint all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup qualifiers with 39 goals, standing alongside Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz. Lionel Messi is now behind him at 36.
“Most caps, most goals, and now the top scorer in World Cup qualifiers, Ronaldo has done it all. The question now is, what’s next for him?” remarked Portuguese outlets after his latest record.
Most Goals In FIFA Qualifiers
| Rank | Player | Country | Goals | Games Played |
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 39 | 49 |
| 1 | Carlos Ruiz | Guatemala | 39 | 47 |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 36 | 72 |
| 4 | Ali Daei | Iran | 35 | 51 |
| 5 | Robert Lewandowski | Poland | 32 | 41 |
Interestingly, a closer look at the numbers reveals a different picture as Ronaldo, despite being the joint all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, is not the most efficient in front of goals. That honour goes to Robert Lewandowski, who scored 32 goals in just 41 games, at a remarkable 0.78 goals per game ratio. Ruiz (0.83) and Ronaldo (0.80) are second and third, respectively.
Messi, with his 36 goals in 72 appearances, has a lower ratio than all three at 0.50 goals per game.