If there was ever a debate about Cristiano Ronaldo’s status as football’s G.O.A.T, critics are fast running out of arguments against the player.
Even his staunchest detractors would be hard-pressed to deny him his legendary status, considering he keeps smashing record after record.
His latest milestone came in Portugal’s 4-0 Euro qualifying win over Liechtenstein in which he scored twice.
The game was Ronaldo’s 197th appearance for his country, making him the most-capped player in men’s football.
He has now played one game more than the previous record-holder – Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Ronaldo also extended his record as footballs’ all-time men’s scorer, with his goals against Liechtenstein taking his international tally to 120.
Turning the tables
All this, it has to be added, at the ripe old age of 38 and just a few months after almost everyone had written off the veteran’s career.
It was only in December that Ronaldo had a nasty spat with then-Portugal boss Fernando Santos ahead of their World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Morocco.
The bust-up, coupled with the team’s painful exit, led to widespread speculation that CR7 was bound for international retirement.
But yet, here we are today, with Ronaldo given the opportunity for redemption by new Portugal boss Roberto Martinez.
At the rate he’s going, who knows what other milestones the player could go on to achieve. Ronaldo himself has gone on record as saying that he is driven by the desire to break more records and cement his legacy even further, and we have no doubt he means every word.
Special mention
It wasn’t just Ronaldo re-writing the history books at the Euro qualifiers.
Harry Kane made a new entry of his own by becoming England’s all-time leading goalscorer.
He netted from the spot in the Three Lions’ 2-1 victory over Italy to take his international tally to 54.
That is one more than Wayne Rooney’s mark, which the former Man United striker set back in 2015.
