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.



Neuville Fights Back in Japan to Close on 1st World Title

FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 7 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 15, 2020. Thierry Neuville of Belgium (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) speaks to the media. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson/via REUTERS/File Photo
FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 7 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 15, 2020. Thierry Neuville of Belgium (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) speaks to the media. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson/via REUTERS/File Photo
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Neuville Fights Back in Japan to Close on 1st World Title

FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 7 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 15, 2020. Thierry Neuville of Belgium (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) speaks to the media. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson/via REUTERS/File Photo
FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 7 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 15, 2020. Thierry Neuville of Belgium (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) speaks to the media. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson/via REUTERS/File Photo

Hyundai's Thierry Neuville fought back into the points at the season-ending Rally Japan on Saturday to stand on the cusp of his first world championship.

The Belgian, who needs six points to clinch the title, started the day 15th after a turbo pressure problem but moved up to seventh place to secure four of the required tally provided he finishes on Sunday.

Team mate and closest championship rival Ott Tanak will lead the rally into Sunday's final leg, 38 seconds clear of Toyota's Elfyn Evans, as leaders Hyundai also closed in on the manufacturers' title, Reuters reported.

Toyota's Sebastien Ogier was in third place.

"We’re satisfied that we’ve been able to catch seventh, which didn’t seem very realistic this morning," said Neuville.

"Of course, it could have been a much better weekend result, but I have faced many setbacks in my career and I have learnt to stay calm and deal with the situation.

"I think we managed that very well today, considering we had everything to lose while others had a lot to gain. It could be a big day tomorrow, but there is still a fight and we have to win some more points."

Tanak, the 2019 world champion, won the 13th and 16th stages while Neuville won stages 11 and 14 in the Aichi mountains near Nagoya.

Stage 12 was cancelled for security reasons after a van entered the course and blocked the road while Evans was waiting to start and after six cars had posted times. Police attended the scene and escorted the vehicle away.

"We've had this situation before here, which is challenging," the www.autosport.com, opens new tab website quoted FIA road sport director Andrew Wheatley as saying, calling the breach "very serious".

"Clearly, what's been done in the past has not been good enough and we need to find solutions to go forward. There is no excuse for this."