10 Unforgettable Moments of Cristiano Ronaldo’s International Career

Cristiano Ronaldo made his Portuguese national team debut a little over 20 years ago.

The 38-year-old five-time Ballon d’Or winner has gone on to add an extra 199 international appearances since making his debut for Portugal, on a balmy evening against Kazakhstan.

His record-setting 200 appearances for the Selecao have not been without their fair share of drama.

However, Ronaldo has won a European Championship and a Nations League for his country and has set the record for the most goals scored in international football history.

To commemorate his international milestone, Sports Brief takes a look back at the highs and lows of his illustrious 20-year international career, as well as some uncanny and delirious moments in between.

Euro 2004 heartache

The tournament’s hosts, Portugal, made it all the way to the final, only to be beaten by a well-organized Greece side led by German, Otto Rehhagel.

Ronaldo, still a teenager and deployed on the wing, had scored a vital goal in their semi-final against the Netherlands and secured a spot in the UEFA team of the tournament.

After the final, he slumped to the ground in tears. It was a bitter disappointment for him, but his scintillating performances in that tournament left no one in doubt - a star was born.

2006 FIFA World Cup

61 minutes into a quarter-final stalemate against England, a young, hot-headed Wayne Rooney stamped on Ricardo Carvalho after the defender had fallen to the ground following a tussle.

Ronaldo, who was then Rooney’s Manchester United teammate, stormed up to the referee, protesting the foul. The English legend was sent off, after which CR7 appeared to wink at his bench.

As harmless as his gesture may have seemed to other nations, English fans were infuriated, and the nation’s media went into overdrive, demonising Ronaldo for his actions.

He was jeered throughout the following Premier League season - not that he would have cared much, as the Red Devils won the title with their star as the league’s top scorer.

2014 FIFA World Cup playoffs

In late 2013, Ronaldo led his side to a place at the 2014 World Cup after scoring four goals against Sweden in a two-legged playoff, doing so in some style.

The fixtures were billed as a showdown between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the Portuguese superstar. The Swedish forward did his bit by scoring two goals in the second leg, but it was Ronaldo who ultimately triumphed, securing a 4-2 win on aggregate.

Euro 2016 microphone saga

The then-31-year-old Real Madrid forward displayed some frustration in the early stages of the 2016 European Championship in France. His performances, by his standards, were below par.

In a group game, he refused to shake hands with Iceland’s players following Portugal’s 1-1 draw in their opening game. In the second match, he missed a penalty in a goalless draw with Austria.

Then, just before Portugal’s final group game, a reporter began an impromptu interview with Ronaldo as he went for a stroll with his teammates. The veteran wrestled the microphone from his hands and threw it into a nearby lake.

First trophy with Portugal

It might not have been pretty, but Portugal beat Euro 2016 tournament hosts, France, in extra time to lift the coveted trophy.

Ronaldo notched three goals in the tournament but was forced off early in the final after picking up an injury.

He spent the rest of the game with ice strapped to his knee as he frantically gesticulated and issued instructions from the bench.

The 2018 World Cup hat-trick

Ronaldo scored three goals in a group-stage Iberian derby at the 2018 World Cup in Russia to make him the oldest-ever player to score a hat-trick at a World Cup.

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His final goal, which brought the game level at 3-3 in the 88th minute, was a sumptuous trademark free kick as Spain could only watch in agony.

UEFA Nations League triumph

Ronaldo picked up his second international trophy in the inaugural Nations League. Once again, the then-Juventus forward was crucial in guiding his country to the final, scoring a hat-trick in the semi-final against Switzerland.

In the final, however, just like in 2016, it was another player - Goncalo Guedes, who then played for Valencia - who scored a solitary goal to win it for Portugal.

Euro 2020 bottle-removing trend

In a press conference at Euro 2020, the famously health-obsessed Ronaldo removed a bottle of Coca-Cola from the table and replaced it with water.

According to reports by ESPN, his action sent the company's stocks plummeting and inadvertently started a trend of other players removing unwanted drinks from the table, including France’s Paul Pogba removing a bottle of Heineken beer.

New international goal-scoring record

In September 2021, Ronaldo netted his 110th and 111th international goals in a 2022 World Cup qualifying win over the Republic of Ireland, making him the leading scorer in men’s international football.

Heartbreak at 2022 World Cup

In his first season back at Manchester United, Ronaldo silenced critics who claimed he was too old by notching 24 goals in all competitions in 2021/22.

However, things began to unravel at the start of the 2022/23 season, when he stormed off before the end of a game in which he was an unused substitute.

By the time the World Cup came around in late 2022, his relationship with United boss, Erik ten Hag, had broken down irreparably, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.

Then came an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, in which he criticised the club and its management.

Controversy followed him to the World Cup, with head coach, Fernando Santos, opting to bench Ronaldo in Portugal’s 6-1 steamrolling of Switzerland, apparently due to the star reacting angrily when being substituted against South Korea during the group stages of the tournament.

He only made an appearance from the bench in Portugal’s quarter-final loss to Morocco.

A happier time came months later in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Lichtenstein on March 23, when he surpassed Kuwait’s Bader al-Mutawa’s total of 196 appearances to set a new record for the most men’s international caps.

Guinness World Records honours Ronaldo

As a tribute to his accomplishment, the Al-Nassr captain was presented with a certificate by representatives of the publication to make it official.