Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his historic record of goals in World Cup qualifiers

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to prove that age is just a number. The Portuguese superstar became the all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup qualifiers after a brace that lifted Portugal to a 2-2 draw against Hungary on October 14 at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon.

With 40 goals in these competitions, Ronaldo surpassed the previous record held by Guatemalan Carlos Ruiz, who had 39 goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo extends his legacy in the qualifiers

Cristiano Ronaldo brace came at crucial moments. First, he leveled the score in the 22nd minute after a challenging start for Portugal, and later gave his team the lead in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.

Despite his efforts, a late goal from Dominik Szoboszlai allowed Hungary to equalize, resulting in both teams sharing points.

After the match, Ronaldo turned to social media to celebrate his historic achievement. “It’s no secret that representing the National Team means a lot to me, and that’s why I’m very proud to have reached this unique milestone for Portugal. Thanks to everyone who helped me get here. See you in November to secure World Cup qualification!” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Não é segredo que representar a Seleção significa muito para mim e por isso estou muito orgulhoso de ter atingido esta marca única por Portugal.

Obrigado a todos que me ajudaram a chegar aqui. Vemo-nos em novembro para fechar o apuramento para o mundial! pic.twitter.com/HILx0cmGVK

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 15, 2025

With this new record, Cristiano Ronaldo extends his lead over his eternal rival Lionel Messi, who has scored 36 goals in World Cup qualifiers, and comes closer to another impressive milestone. 950 career goals after recording 948 in 1,291 matches with club and country.

Pepe recognition and a living legend

Cristiano Ronaldo greatness was also highlighted by his compatriot Pepe, former Portuguese defender, who praised the striker’s longevity and mindset.

“I don’t know when he will stop playing, but I hope it’s not soon. He continues to show that he can break records at 40 and make it look easy. The day we turn on the TV and don’t see his name will feel very strange,” Pepe told Bein Sports.

The Ronaldo-Pepe duo shared the field 348 times across club and national team matches, guiding Portugal to major titles such as Euro 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League, as well as numerous trophies with Real Madrid.