Cristiano Ronaldo could become the most international player of all time on Thursday if he is used by Roberto Martinez in Portugal’s clash with Liechtenstein at the start of Euro 2024 qualifying.
Ronaldo, 38, reaches this stage with 196 caps for the national team, according to official FIFA figures, the same number as Bader Al Mutawa, the same age as well as a striker, has for Kuwait, though the Qadsia player is known to miss the following games in his country after he did not come into the view of the coach, the Portuguese Rui Bento.
Sitting at the top of the national team’s top scorer list with 118 goals and surpassing numbers long considered “impossible” for Iran’s Ali Daei, the Madeiran player now has a new opportunity to solidify his status on the throne of the gods of football, although such an opportunity appears at a time when when his status in the national team is not defined.
Ronaldo, now playing in the Saudi Arabian championship, lost the title of undisputed holder in the Portuguese national team at the last World Cup, in Qatar still with Fernando Santos, and his role with the new coach, Spaniard Roberto Martinez, is yet to come. be revealed.
If he remains on Martinez’s list of candidates, the forward has what it takes to become the first player to reach 200 caps for the country and further solidify his status as top scorer, although Argentine Lionel Messi, two and a half years younger and Ronaldo’s eternal rival, could would pose a threat.
The Argentine captain, who recently celebrated victory at the World Cup, has played 172 matches for the South Americans (he is 13th in the world rankings) and scored 98 goals, which puts him in third place among scorers.
Ronaldo made his debut for the Portuguese national team in August 2003, in a friendly match against Kazakhstan (1:0), in Chavez, under the team of the Brazilian Luis Felipe Scolari, and reached the mark of 100 games in October 2012 against Ireland. Norte in Porto en route to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Lista dos cinco jogadores com mais internacionalizações:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) - 196 jogos
2. Bader Al-Mutawa (Kuwait) - 196
3. Ahmed Hassan (Egito) - 184
4. Ahmed Mubarak (Omã) - 183
5. Sérgio Ramos (Espanha) - 180
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.