On Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo played his 200th match against Iceland in a European Championship qualifier. Cristiano Ronaldo made this record while playing for his national team Portugal at Reykjavik’s Laugardalsvollur stadium.
Ronaldo made his first appearance in 2003 when he played against Kazakhstan, and after playing for 20 years he has achieved a lot. A massive fan following is at the top of it.
He has not only achieved the greatest number of played matches but also holds the record for the greatest number of goals. Both records have been made in international football matches.
He has been the star player for his national team and also helped his team in winning the European Championship in 2016 and UEFA National League in 2019. He also won a share of the Golden Boot twice Championship tournament.
Before the Portugal Vs Iceland match, Ronaldo said: “Two hundred games played proves the love I have for my country. For me, it is an extremely important milestone. It means a lot. [Two hundred] is a beautiful number that [no men’s player] has. I’m very proud because this is something I never thought I could reach. And I’m continuing to set records.”
He further said, “It would be amazing to score in my 200th game. It would be excellent, but the most important thing is qualifying for the European Championships and that the team is performing well.
We want to continue on the right path, we’ve played three good games so far. If I score, great, if not, the most important thing is winning. It was always a dream of mine to play for Portugal. I’m so proud to reach 200 caps, I never imagined it would happen”.
Ronaldo who is now 38, is the player who has scored maximum goals in international football. He is also the only player who has appeared in five different European Championship tournaments in 2022.
While Ronaldo may be the only male player with many records including the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, the overall record has been claimed by USWNT player and 2015 U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame inductee Kristine Lilly who has appeared for 354 internationally.
Before Ronaldo, only one male player, a Malaysian midfielder Soh Chin Ann, had this record. In 2022, Ronaldo also broke the record of Bader Al-Mutawa who played 197 matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievements are not missed by the Guinness Book of Records either. He was even awarded the Guinness Book of Records certificate before the match between Portugal and Iceland. This match was one of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers.
“I say it sincerely, I don’t follow the records, they follow me,” he said, according to ESPN. “I’m happy, it’s also my motivation to continue playing at the highest level in the national team. It was something I never thought I would achieve. And I’m continuing to set records.”
This top player may be 38 but he is not intending to stop any time soon, “I’ll stay here until I, the [football federation] president and the coach believe I can. I’ll never give up coming here, because it’s always a dream. Representing the national team is the height of the career. I want to keep playing, and make my family, friends, and Portuguese happy.”
Looking at his performance, a club from Saudi Arabia Al Nassr also recruited him. Following his move many European stars moved to the Middle East. The latest of them is Ruben Neves who is the midfielder of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
According to a report by Sky Sports Neves is going to be signed off by Al Hilal for £47 million this week.
