Cristiano Ronaldo made history Thursday as the first male player to score a goal in the opening game against Ghana in Portugal’s Qatar in five World Cups.
The Portuguese captain scored a penalty kick in the 65th minute at Stadium 974 in Doha. This is his 118th goal for his country. Portugal won 3–2 with goals from Joao Felix and Rafael Leon.
Ronaldo, 37, is the top scorer in international men’s football and has made a record 18 World Cup appearances for Portugal.
“It’s a beautiful moment, in my fifth World Cup. We won, we started off on the right foot, a very important victory. We know that in these competitions winning the first game is crucial. Another record too, the only player to score in five consecutive World Cups, that for me it is a reason of great pride, Ronaldo said of the milestone.
“I am very happy for the team to have given an excellent performance. Difficult, but fair win.
“The important thing was that the team won. The [Manchester United] chapter is closed, and the focus is solely and exclusively on the World Cup. As I said, we wanted to start off on the right foot. We won, we played well, I helped the team. Everything else is not important. The important thing is the national team.”
His latest milestone comes after he left Manchester United by mutual consent earlier this week after giving an explosive TV interview criticizing the club and manager Eric ten Hag.
The forward made his debut for Portugal in 2003 and scored his first goal ten months later in the Euro 2004 group stage against Greece.
He scored his first World Cup goal from the penalty spot in 2006 in a 2–0 win over Iran. He scored his next goal four years later in South Africa in a 7-0 win over North Korea at the World Cup. He decided, but his team was disappointed when they were eliminated in the group stage.
The first man or woman to score in five World Cups was Malta in 2019, the same year Christine Sinclair achieved the feat.
Ronaldo’s most successful World Cup campaign came in Russia 2018, when he scored four goals, including a hat-trick, in a 3-3 draw against Spain. His final goal came in the 88th minute, with a 25-yard free-kick past United team-mate David De Gea into the top left corner.
Portugal’s best performance for Ronaldo was a fourth place at the 2006 World Cup.
His eight goals at the World Cup against Ghana in Group H on Thursday were just one goal away from equaling the country’s record for the competition, set by Portuguese legend Eusebio. Eusebio was top scorer with nine goals, helping Portugal to his third-place finish in the 1966 World Cup in London.
Ronaldo’s finest moment in international football came when he led Portugal to Euro 2016 glory with a 1-0 victory over hosts France. It was Portugal’s first major title and three years later he won the UEFA Nations League. “Very important win in our World Cup opener but nothing is won! It was just the first step! We remain focused on the pursuit of our objectives. Strength Portugal!” Cristiano Ronaldo wrote on Instagram.
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