Cristiano Ronaldo: 5 Unforgettable International Moments of Portugal Legend

• Cristiano Ronaldo has broken so many records in football, both at club and international level
• He is the all-time leader in international goals with 123 and could add more by the time he retires
• Sports Brief looks at some of his greatest moments in international football

Cristiano Ronaldo has won nearly everything in football. At the international stage, he is the all-time top scorer with 12 goals, a record unlikely to be broken anytime soon.

The Al-Nassr striker has had incredible moments in his career with Portugal, from winning the 2016 Euros to lifting the first Nations League title.

At 38, he's still going strong and will play in the 2024 Euros, barring any injury or illness. He's already won the tournament and could go into it in great form.

This season, he has scored 11 goals in 11 appearances in all competitions for Al-Nassr.

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Ronalso's career with Portugal has been remarkable. He made his debut in August 2003 after replacing Rui Costa at half-time in a 1-0 friendly win over Kazakhstan.

Since then, he has gone on to make 201 appearances, a record in men's international football and scored 123 goals.

20 years is a long time in football, and apart from breaking all kinds of records, he created incredible memories. Sports Brief looks at some of them, per Al Jazeera.

Ronaldo's 5 greatest moments in international football

5. Four-goal outing in World Cup playoff

Ronaldo and Portugal had to face Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Sweden in a two-legged playoff in order to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and the clash did not disappoint. The Selecao won 1-0 in the first leg, leaving the second leg in Sweden finely poised.

The ex-Manchester United striker bagged a super hat-trick to seal a 3-2 win in the second leg while Ibrahimovic scored both goals for Sweden. Incidentally, the hat-trick gave Ronaldo his 50th goal for Portugal and made him the all-time top scorer for his country.

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4. Famous wink in the 2006 World Cup

The 2006 World Cup gave us some incredible memories. Zinedine Zidane's headbutt is probably the greatest World Cup moment ever. However, Ronaldo's wink when his Man United teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off is up there.

After Rooney stamped Ricardo Carvalho when England faced Portugal in the quarter-final, Ronaldo protested for Rooney to be sent off. The Englishman shoved Ronaldo before he was shown a straight red card in the 62nd minute. The Al-Nassr star then appeared to wink at his country's bench as Portugal went on to win the game. The moment was a hot topic in the following Premier League season, but the two got along.

3. 2016 Euro triumph

Euro 2016 was Ronaldo's first trophy with Portugal and the one that cemented him as a true great. He only played 25 minutes in the final against hosts France, but he was an influential figure throughout the tournament.

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That trophy gave him an edge in the eternal debate against Lionel Messi before Argentina won the 2022 World Cup.

2. 2018 World Cup hat-trick

The Real Madrid legend produced a phenomenal display in Portugal's opening match of the 2018 World Cup against Spain. He bagged a hat-trick, becoming the oldest player to do so at 33 years old. His third came in the 88th minute, a sensational free-kick to give them a point.

1. Ronaldo breaks Ali Daei's record

By scoring a brace in Portugal's European Qualifier against the Republic of Ireland on September 1 2021, he became the all-time leader in international goals scored, passing Iran legend Ali Daei, per UEFA.

It is probably Ronaldo's greatest moment and one that will not be breached any time soon.

Break down of Ronaldo's international goals

In related news, Sports Brief took a closer look at all of Ronaldo's 123 goals for Portugal.

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In August 2003, he made his first appearance for the Selecao against Kazakhstan in an international friendly match. He came on for the great Rui Costa at half-time.

The Al-Nassr striker scored his first goal for Portugal in a 1-2 loss against Greece in the 2004 European Championship and went on to score 123 goals for his country in 201 appearances.