Five Memorable Cristiano Ronaldo International Moments

Cristiano Ronaldo collected his 199th cap when he captained Portugal to a 3-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovinain Lisbon on June 17. Patricia DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP
Cristiano Ronaldo collected his 199th cap when he captained Portugal to a 3-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovinain Lisbon on June 17. Patricia DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP
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Five Memorable Cristiano Ronaldo International Moments

Cristiano Ronaldo collected his 199th cap when he captained Portugal to a 3-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovinain Lisbon on June 17. Patricia DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP
Cristiano Ronaldo collected his 199th cap when he captained Portugal to a 3-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovinain Lisbon on June 17. Patricia DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo, already the men's world record holder for international appearances, is set to reach another milestone on Tuesday with his 200th cap when Portugal visit Iceland in Euro 2024 qualifying.

AFP Sport looks at five memorable moments from Ronaldo's 20-year international career.

First international goal

Ronaldo made his international debut at 18 as a substitute, coming on for another Portuguese icon Luis Figo, in August 2003. His major tournament debut came the following summer when Portugal hosted Euro 2004 and he marked it with his first Portugal goal. Ronaldo scored off the bench in a surprise 2-1 opening loss to eventual champions Greece. He was a starter by the time Portugal lost the final.

First World Cup

At the age of 21 years and 132 days, Ronaldo became his country's youngest scorer at a World Cup when he converted a penalty against Iran at the 2006 finals in Germany.

He attracted less positive attention when he protested enthusiastically to the referee after England's Wayne Rooney stamped on Ricardo Carvalho in the quarter-finals. Ronaldo was caught on camera winking as his Manchester United teammate was sent off.

Ronaldo converted the winning kick in the shootout but Portugal then lost in the semi-finals to France.

First trophy

Portugal were eliminated in the first knock-out round at the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cups, the semi-finals of the 2012 Euros and the group stage in the 2014 World Cup, but Ronaldo, and Portugal, at last collected an international trophy at the 2016 Euros in France.

Ronaldo scored three goals on the way to the final as well as the decisive spot kick in a shootout against Poland in the quarter-final. But in the final against France he was stretchered off after 25 minutes. Eder scored the game's only goal in extra-time and captain Ronaldo still lifted the trophy.

"It was not the final I wanted but I am very happy. It is a trophy for all Portuguese, for all immigrants, all the people who believed in us, so I am very happy and very proud," Ronaldo said at the victory parade in Lisbon.

Hat-trick hero

Including two four-goal outings, Ronaldo has scored 10 hat-tricks for Portugal.

The bulk have come against relative minnows such as Andorra, Armenia, the Faroe Islands, Lithuania (twice), Luxembourg and Northern Ireland.

But one gave Portugal a 3-2 victory in a World Cup playoff in Sweden in 2013. Ronaldo scored all four goals as Portugal won 4-2 on aggregate.

He also hit three in a World Cup group game against Spain in Russia 2018, including an 88th-minute equalizer from a free kick. The game ended 3-3 and Portugal eventually went through by one point over Iran.

When Portugal hosted the inaugural Nations League finals in 2019, Ronaldo hit all three in a 3-1 semi-final victory over Switzerland in front of an adoring crowd in Porto.

"I was his coach in 2003 and I could see where he'd go," said Portugal manager Fernando Santos after the game. "He's a genius. There's genius paintings and sculptures and he's a football genius!"

Portugal beat the Netherlands in the final to collect a second international trophy.

Record man

Ronaldo ended his long pursuit of Ali Daei's men's international scoring record with a goal that mattered, not just in the record books but to his country.

Ronaldo entered a World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Faro in 2021 tied with the Iranian on 109.

Ronaldo had an early penalty saved by teenage goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu before Ireland took the lead on the stroke of half-time. Ronaldo leveled with the record-breaking goal in the 89th minute before sealing victory with a header six minutes into added time.

"This record is mine and it is unique. I'm extremely happy and it's another one for my career," said Ronaldo, who has since increased his total to 122 international goals.



Verstappen Proves a Point at Suzuka but Challenges Remain 

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands gets a pit service during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands gets a pit service during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)
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Verstappen Proves a Point at Suzuka but Challenges Remain 

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands gets a pit service during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands gets a pit service during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)

World champion Max Verstappen exploded the idea that McLaren might absolutely dominate the Formula One season with victory at the Japanese Grand Prix at the weekend, but the Dutchman was by no means certain he would be able to repeat the feat elsewhere.

Verstappen steered his Red Bull to a pole-to-flag victory for an unprecedented fourth year in a row at Suzuka on Sunday, continuing his love affair with the home circuit of his team's engine providers Honda.

The four-times world champion was delighted with his weekend in Japan, highlighted by the brilliant qualifying lap that snatched pole position away from McLaren's Lando Norris, but cautious about what it meant for the remaining 21 races.

"I think we know our limitations," he said. "So we just have to try and run against that limitation as much as we can. But yeah, it's still not fixed.

"So this is hopefully going to be fixed soon, but I cannot give you a timeline on that. It's just about trying to find that limit, which is really sensitive for us at the moment."

Team principal Christian Horner was clear about what the Suzuka win, coming after dominant wins for McLaren in Australia and China, meant for Red Bull.

"Max, without any debate, is the best driver in the world currently," he said.

"I think for the drivers' championship, Max is, what, one point behind now? So for us, all priority is on that.

"The constructors is going to be harder, but it's a long year, and you never give up, and I think there's no better tonic or motivator than winning."

After three races, Red Bull are a hefty 50 points behind McLaren in the constructors' championship and Verstappen does indeed trail Norris by a single point in the drivers' standings heading to next week's race in Bahrain.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was equally clear that he wants both titles and, convinced that the best cars in Formula One are in his garage, was satisfied with second for Norris and third for Oscar Piastri.

A cool track and very little tire degradation meant qualifying position was crucial at Suzuka with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, who was seventh, the only driver in the top 10 finishers managing to overtake during the race.

The Bahrain heat is likely to offer very different conditions but Piastri warned he and Norris would need to be wary of Mercedes and Ferrari as well as Red Bull in the Gulf kingdom, the home of McLaren's owners.

"I think we have a small advantage, but I think this weekend has really shown that any small mistake and there's a lot of competition there to capitalize," the Australian said.