Cristiano Ronaldo, a star player for Portugal, scored a last-gasp goal against Iceland to become the first man’s player in history to make 200 international appearances.
Portugal’s perfect start to Euro 2024 qualifying with four wins from four matches was maintained by Ronaldo’s goal, which was a record-extending 123rd goal in international football.
Prior to kickoff, the 38-year-old, who made his Portugal debut in 2003, was presented with a Guinness World Record certificate to commemorate the occasion.
After the match, Ronaldo told uefa.com,
“So happy,” Ronaldo told uefa.com after the match. “It’s the kind of moment you never expect, to reach 200 caps. For me it’s an unbelievable achievement.
“To be in the Guinness World Records is amazing and to score the winning goal is even more special. So I have to say thank you to the stadium, to Iceland, the people, the fans, the stadium for having this kind of party for me.
“Also to the Portugal national team, the federation. I’m so happy. It’s a special day, I have to say thank you to all of them. They made my day. They made my night.”
On the flip side, Iceland’s Willum Willumsson was sent off with ten minutes left after receiving his second yellow card, making room for Portugal to win.
After teammate Gonçalo Inácio, who provided the assist, was initially ruled to be offside, VAR overturned the decision, forcing Ronaldo to wait to celebrate his goal.
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Despite a disappointing World Cup in which Ronaldo was benched in the knockout stages, the captain of Portugal has now scored five goals in Euro qualifying and is still playing a key role for the national team.
Following his acrimonious departure from Manchester United, Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al Nassr. He missed out on the league title in his first season at the club.
