Cristiano Ronaldo sets record for most goals in World Cup qualifiers
Cristiano Ronaldo, the forward for the Portugal national football team, set a new record for the number of goals scored in World Cup qualifying matches. On Oct. 14, he scored a brace in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Hungary.
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Group F – Oct. 14, 2025
Portugal vs. Hungary: 2-2
Goals: Cristiano Ronaldo (22’, 45+3’); Attila Szalai (8’), Dominik Szoboszlai (90+1’)
These goals became Ronaldo’s 40th and 41st in World Cup qualification, making him the sole leader in this category. He surpassed retired Guatemalan striker Carlos Ruiz, who had scored 39 goals.
The top five all-time World Cup qualification goalscorers are as follows:
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 41 goals in 51 matches
- Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala) – 39 goals in 47 matches
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 36 goals in 72 matches
- Ali Daei (Iran) – 35 goals in 51 matches
- Robert Lewandowski (Poland) – 33 goals in 42 matches
Ronaldo’s career with the national team
Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal in a friendly match against Kazakhstan in 2003. With him, Portugal won its first major trophy, UEFA Euro 2016, and later secured the UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025. He has made 225 appearances for the national team, scoring 143 goals, a record for goals scored for a national team, and providing 45 assists.
Ronaldo has also become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, with an estimated net worth of about $1.4 billion.
