Cristiano Ronaldo has surprised absolutely no one by becoming the joint-highest scoring male player in international football.
Photo via Reuters
The 36-year-old, who has broken so many football records we’ve actually lost count, scored both goals in Portugal’s 2-2 draw with France at Euro 2020, to take his tally for his country to 109.
That draws him level with the long-standing record held by Iranian legend Ali Daei.
One more goal – possibly in the Euro last 16 clash against Belgium – and Ronaldo will be the greatest goal scorer in men’s international football.
Even Daei himself has praised the achievement, saying it is an honour that his record will eventually be broken by a player of Ronaldo’s class and stature.
Also, when the inevitable does happen, Ronaldo is likely to hold the record for quite a while, considering that the next player after him on the top-scorer’s list who is still active is Ali Mabkhout with 76 goals for the UAE.
(Third on the all-time list is the late Malaysian legend Dato Mokhtar Dahari with 85 goals. Just thought we’d put that in)
But as impressive as his achievement is, the Portuguese superstar is still a long way off from becoming football’s outright greatest goal scorer.
That honour goes to Christine Sinclair, who has scored 186 goals for the Canadian national women’s team.
Photo via Reuters
Ronaldo may have so far outscored the likes of Daei, Super Mokh, Pele and even Lionel Messi…but surely even he can’t make up the 77 goal deficit with Sinclair before the end of his career.
Or can he?
By: Nicholas Darren John
