Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese football superstar, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
He is also the all-time leading goalscorer for Portugal, with an incredible 122 goals in 198 appearances as of June 14, 2024. This is a remarkable achievement, and it puts him in a class of his own among Portuguese footballers.
What makes Ronaldo’s goalscoring record even more impressive is that he has surpassed the combined goalscoring totals of three of Portugal’s other legendary players: Eusebio, Luis Figo, and Pedro Pauleta.
Eusebio is widely considered to be the greatest Portuguese footballer of all time before Ronaldo. He scored 41 goals in 64 appearances for Portugal between 1961 and 1973.
Luis Figo is another Portuguese football icon. He scored 32 goals in 127 appearances for Portugal between 1991 and 2002.
Pedro Pauleta is the third Portuguese legend on this list. He scored 47 goals in 88 appearances for Portugal between 1997 and 2006.
When you combine the goalscoring totals of Eusebio (41), Figo (32), and Pauleta (47), you get a total of 120 goals. This is a remarkable number in its own right, but it is still two goals fewer than Ronaldo’s total of 122 goals.
This means that Ronaldo has scored more goals for Portugal than three of the country’s greatest ever players combined. It is an incredible feat that further cements his status as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Here are some of the reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo is such a prolific goalscorer:
- He is a natural finisher with a knack for scoring goals in all sorts of situations.
- He is incredibly athletic and has a powerful shot.
- He is always in the right place at the right time.
- He is a very hard worker and is always looking to improve his game.
It is no wonder that Ronaldo has broken so many goalscoring records. He is a true legend of the game, and he is sure to continue to score goals for many years to come.
Here are some additional details about Cristiano Ronaldo’s goalscoring record for Portugal:
- He has scored the most goals in a single World Cup tournament by a European player, with 6 goals in the 2018 World Cup.
- He has scored the most goals in a single European Championship tournament, with 9 goals in Euro 2020.
- He has scored the most goals in a single UEFA Nations League season, with 4 goals in the 2018-19 season.
