As Portugal’s first match in the EURO 2024 qualification process, Cristiano Ronaldo officially broke the record for most international appearances by becoming the most capped player in history.
The 38-year-old was a member of Roberto Martnez‘s inaugural team after being benched for the final two contests of Fernando Santos’ administration, during which Portugal was eliminated from the World Cup by Morocco in the quarterfinal round. The former manager of Belgium has chosen to play a 3-5-2 formation, similar to the one he frequently used with the Red Devils, with Ronaldo and Joao Félix as a front-two.
Ronaldo, who already holds the record for most goals scored by an international player with 118, set a new mark when Martinez selected him over Benfica forward Goncalo Ramos to start the match.
CR7, who had previously made 196 appearances for his country, surpassed Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait, who had also amassed 196 appearances, by increasing his total to 197 when he joined the field.
He could become the first player in football history to make 200 appearances if he plays in both games this international break and both of Portugal’s games in June. His remarkable national team career included winning the 2016 European Championships.
His former colleague Sergio Ramos, who has already retired from international football and won’t be tampering with the record books any longer, has made the next-highest number of appearances in Europe.
Ronaldo, who left Manchester United under less than ideal circumstances in November, is currently playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Despite being in the latter stages of his career, the Madeira man continues to dominate the leaderboards for Europe’s top division.
The veteran currently holds the records for most appearances, goals scored, and assists. He was also the first player to win five Champions League titles, however many of his former teammates have since joined Real Madrid following their 2022 victory.
