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Cristiano Ronaldo made historical past on Thursday as the primary male participant to attain in 5 World Cups in Portugal’s opening sport in Qatar towards Ghana.
The Portugal captain scored within the sixty fifth minute from the penalty spot — the 118th objective for his nation — at Doha’s Stadium 974. Ronaldo, 37, is essentially the most prolific goalscorer in males’s worldwide soccer and has made a file 18 appearances for Portugal at a World Cup.
It comes after Ronaldo left Manchester United by “mutual settlement” earlier this week following an explosive TV interview during which he criticised the membership and coach Erik ten Hag.
The ahead made his Portugal debut in 2003 and scored his first objective 10 months later throughout a Euro 2004 group stage sport towards Greece.
His first World Cup objective in 2006 was from the penalty spot in a 2-0 win over Iran. His subsequent World Cup objective got here 4 years later in South Africa in a 7-0 rout of North Korea. Ronaldo additionally scored in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Ghana within the 2014 World Cup in Brazil however his facet confronted disappointment as they had been eradicated within the group levels.
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His most profitable World Cup marketing campaign was in 2018 in Russia the place he scored 4 objectives, together with a hat trick in a 3-3 draw with Spain. The final of these objectives got here within the 88th minute, a 25-yard free-kick that flew into the highest left nook previous United teammate David de Gea.
Portugal’s greatest efficiency with Ronaldo was the 2006 World Cup, after they completed fourth.
By scoring in Thursday’s Group H sport towards Ghana, Ronaldo’s eighth objective at a World Cup, he’s one strike away from equalling the nation’s file set within the competitors by Portugal legend Eusebio. Eusebio helped Portugal attain third place on the 1966 World Cup in London the place he completed as the highest scorer with 9 objectives.
Ronaldo’s most interesting hour in worldwide soccer got here when he captained Portugal to Euro 2016 glory towards hosts France with a 1-0 victory. It was Portugal’s first main title and it was adopted by UEFA Nations League glory three years later.
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