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.



Frankfurt Says Omar Marmoush Will Probably Leave for Man City and Rests him

Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush reacts after the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on January 17, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush reacts after the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on January 17, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
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Frankfurt Says Omar Marmoush Will Probably Leave for Man City and Rests him

Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush reacts after the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on January 17, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush reacts after the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on January 17, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

Omar Marmoush seemed on the verge of joining Manchester City on Friday as his current club Eintracht Frankfurt confirmed it was in talks with City and said the Egyptian striker would probably leave.
Marmoush was not in the squad as Frankfurt beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Bundesliga but joined his teammates on the field after the game for an apparent farewell as fans cheered, The Associated Press reported.
“I've said often before that we're in discussions with a club. In the end, it's Manchester City and we've really been in close contact with them for one or two days now,” sporting director Markus Krösche told broadcaster DAZN ahead of the game. A move to City would be a “huge opportunity” for Marmoush, he added.
“We'll see how it develops in the coming hours and perhaps days, but there is now a very high probability that he will be leaving us.”
German broadcaster Sky reported on Friday that any deal for Marmoush could involve a fee of 75 million euros ($77.1 million) and another five million euros ($5.14 million) in possible bonuses.
Marmoush has been among the top scorers in European soccer this season, racking up 15 in 17 games in the Bundesliga, one less than top scorer Harry Kane, and 20 from 26 games across all competitions.
A move to City would continue a rapid rise to stardom for Marmoush, who signed for Frankfurt on a free transfer in 2023 from Wolfsburg, where he’d scored only five goals the season before. His contract with Frankfurt runs through 2027.
Man City on Friday handed its star striker Erling Haaland a contract through to 2034.