Cristiano Ronaldo may be without a club, but that hasn't stopped him breaking records at the Qatar World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player ever to score at five separate World Cups when he scored against Ghana on Thursday.
Getty/Clive Brunskill
- Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player ever to score at five separate World Cups on Thursday.
- He scored a penalty in Portugal's 3-2 win over Ghana at Stadium 974 in Qatar.
- The landmark comes just days after Ronaldo had his contract terminated by Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first soccer player ever to score at five separate World Cups on Thursday, after he netted from the penalty spot in Portugal's 3-2 victory over Ghana at Stadium 974 in Qatar.
The 37-year-old opened the scoring in the 65th minute after he was adjudged to have been fouled in the box by Ghana defender Mohamed Salisu.
The landmark comes just days after Ronaldo had his contract terminated by his club team, Manchester United, following a controversial interview in which he attacked the club, its manager, and its owners.
It is unclear where he will ply his trade after the World Cup finishes.
"The first player to score goals at five World Cups, this makes me very proud" Ronaldo said after Portugal's win.
Portugal boss Fernando Santo said of Ronaldo: "One of the best players in the world, one of the best players ever.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is a phenomenon, a legend like many who have comes and gone before. In 50 years' time, we will continue to speak about him," he added.
Ronaldo's records
Including World Cups and European Championships, Ronaldo has now scored at 10 consecutive major tournaments.
His penalty against Ghana saw him become Portgual's oldest World Cup scorer ever, while he's also his country's youngest ever World Cup scorer, having scored his first goal at the tournament in 2006, at the age of 21.
In September 2021, the former Real Madrid and Juventus forward also became the top scorer in international soccer history, after netting a brace against the Republic of Ireland. Those two goals took his total to 111 – moving him two ahead of Iran's Ali Daei in the record books.
Ronaldo also surpassed Sergio Ramos' record for the most international appearances by a European player last year, and became the first player to score 10 hat-tricks in men's international football, after scoring three in a 5-0 win against Luxembourg.