Budapest: Cristiano Ronaldo once again etched his name into football history as Portugal edged past Hungary 3-2 in a thrilling World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night. The veteran striker converted a penalty in the 58th minute, marking his 39th goal in World Cup qualifiers, which drew him level with Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz as the joint-top scorer in the competition’s history.
Ronaldo leads from the front at 40
At 40 years old, Ronaldo continues to defy age with his remarkable consistency. The Portuguese captain had already scored twice in his side’s 5-0 demolition of Armenia earlier in the campaign. With this latest strike, he has moved three goals clear of Lionel Messi, who has 36 World Cup qualifying goals, reigniting comparisons between the two modern football legends.
Ronaldo’s penalty came after Loic Nego handled the ball in the box, and the Al Nassr striker calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, underlining both his composure and enduring quality on the international stage.
Hungary put up a fight
Despite Portugal’s dominance, Hungary proved a tough opponent. Barnabas Varga scored twice, including the opener, forcing Portugal to chase the game from early on. The comeback was sparked by Bernardo Silva, who struck a thunderous effort to level the scores before Ronaldo’s penalty shifted momentum decisively.
João Cancelo then added a third goal for Portugal, sealing the victory and ensuring the team maintained a perfect start to Group F with six points from two matches.
Portugal maintain perfect start
The win keeps Portugal at the top of Group F, ahead of Armenia, who stunned Ireland earlier in the day. Ronaldo’s record is another testament to his extraordinary career; already the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football with 141 goals in 223 games, he now has the opportunity to become the sole leading marksman in World Cup qualifying when Portugal face Ireland on October 11.
On Instagram, Ronaldo celebrated the victory with a short message: “Two games, two wins, let’s go Portugal.” His performance demonstrates that even at 40, he remains central to Portugal’s ambitions on the world stage.