Cristiano Ronaldo’s list of victims includes the likes of Argentina, Belgium, 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia, Netherlands, and heavyweights Spain.
Debunking the negative propaganda that “Ronaldo scores only against small teams” and “Ronaldo does not show up on the big stage”, facts, stats, history and what have you prove the massive positive influence that the 34-year-old has had on his tiny Iberian country since breaking into the senior team in August 2003. Following his first-ever Portugal goal, which occurred in an opening game defeat to eventual champions Greece at Euro 2004, CR7 has transformed from a 19-year-old starlet to the best skipper in Europe and, arguably, the world.
Ronaldo really hit 90 International goals in our lifetime. And he’s going to 100. I did not think this was possible when he scored his first at Euro 2004. I remember where I was when he scored that goal. I had no clue I was witnessing the beginning of history being made.
— Slake (@Cerebrone) September 10, 2019
No European player – active or retired, dead or alive – has netted as many international goals as Ronaldo. Only 17 separate him from dethroning Iranian icon Ali Daei as the highest goalscorer at national team level in the history of World Football. For Ronaldo, 17 is not much. This is a player who bangs hat-tricks for fun. He’s got 8 for Portugal as of now.
Against Lithuania on Matchday 6 of the UEFA European qualifiers, he exhibited experience and maturity by finding back his composure in the second half after looking frustrated during the final 30 minutes of the first period. The Juventus superstar poached his 91st, 92nd, and 93rd goals in only 10 minutes in the second half after breaking the deadlock in the 5th minute through the penalty spot. His four goals were the fruits of only 5 shots on target across 79 minutes of play. Efficiency.
It's 4. And it's "mic drop" time. The God Master of Football is subbed off. #Lithuania #Portugal https://t.co/F3HeITPv94
— Angela Akua Asante (Triple A) (@AngieAsante) September 10, 2019
160 caps, 93 goals, 40 different victims, 37 assists, and 2 major titles with a habit of putting in solid performances in semi-finals and do-or-die qualifying matches is no fluke. Zlatan Ibrahimovic would recall how Ronaldo’s one-man show in the 2014 UEFA World Cup qualifying playoffs prevented the Swedes from enjoying some Brazilian sunshine. Naysayers are still shocked at how Ronaldo’s backheel goal against Hungary in the 2016 European Championship lifted Portugal from the group stages before they went all the way to clinch the cup. The history books of the UEFA Nations League will forever maintain Ronaldo’s name as the first captain to lift this new competition’s trophy and his semi-final hat-trick against Switzerland, as much as his triplet against giants Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, will remain a classic.
Below is the list of countries, in alphabetical order, against which Cristiano Ronaldo has scored en route to surpassing the 90-goal milestone under Portugal’s colors:
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Cameroon
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- Finland
- Ghana
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Iran
- Kazakhstan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- North Korea
- Northern Ireland
- Panama
- Poland
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Wales
