By beginning Portugal’s Euro 2024 qualifying match against Liechtenstein on Thursday, Cristiano Ronaldo shattered the men’s international appearance record.
The 38-year-old, who was left out of Portugal’s starting lineup at the World Cup in Qatar last year, earned his nation’s 197th cap.
“Records are what drive me, “On Wednesday, Ronaldo told reporters.
“I want to surpass all previous players in terms of caps. It would fill me with pride.
But that’s not all; I still want to be called up often.”
Prior to Portugal’s quarterfinal loss to Morocco, Ronaldo made his debut for his country in 2003 and last year became the first player to score in five World Cups.
After a contentious finish to his second stint at Manchester United, he is presently playing for Saudi side Al Nassr.
Ronaldo’s appearance off the bench in the loss against Morocco matched Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait’s previous record of 196 appearances.
Ronaldo sobbed as he exited the field after Portugal’s unexpected 1-0 defeat to the North Africans.
When Portugal begins their qualifying process for the European Championship in Germany in 2019, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will also be looking to add to his record total of 118 goals for his country.
Ronaldo has scored nine goals in ten games for Al Nassr since leaving Europe.
At the World Cup, Goncalo Ramos took his spot as the starting striker, scoring a hat-trick for Benfica in a victory against Switzerland in the round of 16.
Nevertheless, seasoned manager Fernando Santos resigned after the competition, and replacement manager Roberto Martinez instantly placed his trust in Ronaldo, who also serves as the team captain.
Given that Ronaldo would be 39 by the time of the 2024 European Championship, there were concerns as to whether his 20-year international career had come to an end in Qatar.
Yet, Martinez, who resigned as Belgium’s head coach after the World Cup, has vehemently defended his choice to retain Ronaldo in the team.
“I don’t consider my age, “stated Martinez last week when he unveiled his first team.
The Spaniard went on to say that his team announcement was “only the beginning.” “Ronaldo is probably going to play if Portugal makes it to Euro 2024, indicating that.
Ronaldo now has an outstanding collection of personal milestones that includes the international appearance milestone.
With 14 goals in the European Championship finals, he holds the record for most goals scored in the Champions League, with 140.
Moreover, Ronaldo has finished first in scoring in three of the top five leagues in Europe: England, Spain, and Italy.
In their second Group J qualifying match, Portugal will travel to Luxembourg on Sunday.
Moreover, they were drawn next to Slovakia, Iceland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.