Portugal’s legend Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be setting new records and pushing the bar every time he steps onto a football field. The Manchester United ace set two new records in international football over the past week.
First, Ronaldo became the highest-capped European player in the game against Qatar, surpassing former Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos, with 181 caps to his name. In his 182nd appearance for Portugal, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, becoming the first male footballer to score 10 hat-tricks for his national team.
Ronaldo achieved that feat in the game against European minnows Luxembourg, scoring two first-half penalties, before a late-headed goal to wrap up yet another hat-trick – the 58th of his professional football career. He also holds the record for most hat-tricks in Spain’s La Liga (34), as well as scoring the most hat-tricks in a Spanish league season (8), a record he set in the 2012-12 season.
The Manchester United striker was pleased with his and the team’s performance following the comfortable win against Luxembourg.
“Another victory, another step towards our goal, another historic night in defense of our colors! Everything becomes easier when we play at home and in front of an audience that cares for us from the first to the last minute… I had promised that I would always be looking for more and more and more! It’s in my DNA and in our DNA, we’re never content, we never lower our arms and we always go”, wrote Ronaldo on Instagram.
Last month, Ronaldo went to the top of the all-time goal scoring chart in men’s international football, passing Iran’s Ali Daei. The 36-year-old now has 115 goals for Portugal in 182 appearances, which is 35 goals more than arch-rival Lionel Messi, who has 80 goals in 155 appearances, the second-highest among active players in the world.
Ronaldo also holds the record for the most goals in senior competitions, and is closing in 800 career goals, which will be hard to surpass by anyone in the future. The Portuguese star has made a superb start to his club season following his return to Manchester United. In six matches that Ronaldo has played in so far, he has scored five times.
His club has a run of tough games following the international break as they play the likes of Leicester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City in the next four league games, while also playing Chelsea and Arsenal next month.
