In his first full week of Euro 2020 games, Cristiano Ronaldo is five goals away from becoming the all-time top scorer in men's international football. He hardly remembers his first goal for Portugal in 2004. It was not a remarkable effort by his standards: a corner from Luis Figo came from the left; Ronaldo met a cross in a crowded box and hit a header ahead of Antonios Nicopolidis. A 93rd-minute header came too late for Portugal, as they lost their Euro 2004 opener 2–1 to eventual winners Greece.
But while Ronaldo's goal had no effect on the overall result, it looked like the start of his remarkable run.
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Moving into Tuesday's game against Hungary (at noon ET, live stream ) Ronaldo has 104 goals for the defending European champions, only behind Iranian striker Ali Dei's men's record of 109. At the age of 36, Ronaldo already holds several records at the international level. Level: He became Portugal's leading goal scorer in November 2013, when he surpassed Paulet (47) for the top spot with a score of No.48. He became the top European male scorer in June 2018, with his 85th goal taking him ahead of Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas. He reached the 100-goal mark in September 2020, only the second player in men's soccer history to do so.
The variety of goals scored also sets him apart: 56 with his right foot, 23 with his left and 25 with a header. Penalties have also been imposed on only 11. With 172 Portugal caps, he has averaged 0.60 goals per game at international level, but he will have to break new ground at these Euros if he is at or better than Dae's mark this summer.
For starters, he has never scored an international goal against Germany or France, although he has four goals against Tuesday's opponents, Hungary. (He has played Germany four times and France six times so far.) If Portugal plays England in the last 16, Ronaldo has never scored against them. He shares the all-time Euro goals record with Michel Platini (nine) and has been improving with age, having scored 48 of his goals in the past five years, but Dei is far ahead.
Dei's record was accumulated at 0.73 goals per game in a 13-year international career with Iran. Dai and Ronaldo were actually involved in the same match – Iran met Portugal in the 2006 World Cup group stage, although Daii was an unused substitute, Ronaldo scoring his 12th for Portugal.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players not only of his time, but of all time," Dai told Tautomercato in November 2020. "He's a complete event. I'd congratulate him straight [on breaking his record], but get there first."
Based on pure math, these Euros may be coming too soon for him, given Ronaldo's record of scoring one goal every 133 minutes for Portugal, but he has to be aware of the people standing over his shoulder from elsewhere in the world. Those who are trying to chase after them. bottom.
It seems unlikely that some of the other active players - India's Sunil Chhetri, 11th overall, with 74 goals at the age of 36, while UAE striker Ali Mabkhout, 12th on 73 goals - can catch him. Ronaldo's longtime "rival" Lionel Messi has also not been able to close the gap (72 goals from 143 games), as he will turn 34 at the end of June. Poland's Robert Lewandowski (32 years old, 66 goals in 118 games), Neymar (66 out of 105), Luis Suarez (62 out of 116) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (62 out of 118) will also not meet, although how does their distance prove? Ronaldo's scoring rate has been impressive.
What about Ronaldo's European teammates? Other favorites for the Golden Boot at this summer's Euros include Romelu Lukaku of Belgium, who is in the form of his life. At age 28, with 62 goals in 94 games (0.66 goals per game), he is a distant, but viable, threat.
Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe are also making good progress. The England captain has 34 in 54 (0.63 per game), but he will have to chase down Wayne Rooney's England record of 53 goals before Ronaldo can be seen. The same holds true for Mbappe, who has 132 in 171 for PSG and 17 in 43 for France. The wondrous 22-year-old is a favorite to be named this summer's Euros player of the best and has plenty of time to overtake the Portugal icon - if he improves on his goal-scoring record of 0.41 per game at the international level. is.
Looking ahead, you would be foolish to discount the 20-year-old Erling Haaland, who has only played 12 times for Norway but has seven goals (0.58 per game). Given his ridiculous combined goal-scoring records for FC Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund (86 in as many games), Haaland has every chance.
And then Zenit St Petersburg striker Sardar Azmoun is chasing his idol. The man called "Iranian Zlatan" is only 26 years old and already 34 out of 54 for Iran. "[Ali Dae] was my hero when I was a kid," Azmoun told UEFA.com in 2019. "If Ali Dei had been born in another country, they would have made a statue of his feet and planted it in the middle of the city because he has achieved so much."
But we end on the basic question: will Ronaldo break the record at these Euros? His official tech is one of management expectations.
"I managed to beat this milestone of 100 goals, and now [I will aim to go]," Ronaldo said in September 2020. This is step by step. I'm not obsessed because I believe records come in a natural way." But judging by his reaction against Serbia in March when he was denied a goal at the last minute, the record was too much for him. It matters.
Speaking back in November, Dae predicted that Ronaldo would break his record, and he was eager to congratulate him. "I sincerely hope that Cristiano Ronaldo will reach my goal record for the national team," Dei said. "In no way [won't hurt me], it would be a real honor for me if a player in his class could do that."