Cristiano Ronaldo continues to rewrite football history with his unmatched scoring ability, even at the age of 40. The Portuguese star found the net once again in Portugal’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Hungary in Budapest, keeping his nation’s winning run alive in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers.
Ronaldo, who recently scored a brace against Armenia, added another crucial goal by calmly converting a penalty early in the second half. His effort not only guided Portugal to an important win but also pushed him level with Guatemalan legend Carlos Ruiz as the joint all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, with 39 goals. This milestone offers Ronaldo the chance to move ahead when Portugal return to action in October.
While Ronaldo surged forward in the global tally, his long-time rival Lionel Messi fell just short in his final World Cup qualifying campaign. Messi struck twice against Venezuela in what is likely his farewell appearance on Argentinian soil, but he was rested for the match against Ecuador. Despite this, the Argentine icon finished as the leading scorer in South American qualifiers with 8 goals.
Portugal’s squad showed collective strength as Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo added to the scoresheet, ensuring a perfect start in their group. With four more matches left against relatively straightforward opponents, Ronaldo looks set not only to surpass Ruiz but also to extend his dominance over Messi in the record books. As he continues to shine for both Portugal and Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo’s hunger for goals and glory shows no signs of fading.
