Cristiano Ronaldo was on target in Portugal's 5-0 demolition of Bosnia and Herzegovina in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying. The veteran forward bagged a brace as the Selecao scored all five goals in the first half.
The win gave Portugal an eighth straight victory in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, with Ronaldo having been instrumental in that run of form.
The veteran and his national team have already sealed their spot in the tournament.
The 38-year-old currently ranks second among the leading goal-scorers in the Euro 2024 qualifiers with nine goals, one behind the leader, Belgium's Romelu Lukaku.
Furthermore, Ronaldo's two goals took his international tally to 127 in 203 appearances, a record in international football. The closest player is Iran's Ali Daei, with 109.
The 2016 Euro winner made his professional debut on 14 August, 2002, for Sporting CP in his home country and a year later, he was playing for Manchester United.
In August 2003, he made his first appearance for Portugal against Kazakhstan in an international friendly match. He came on for the great Rui Costa at half-time and has been scoring for fun since.
Ronaldo's milestones in international football
Ronaldo became the first European to score 100 goals on the international stage. He did so in 2020 when Portugal beat Sweden 2-0 in a UEFA Nations League clash.
The 38-year-old broke Ferenc Puskas' record for the most international goals by a European player with his winning goal for Portugal against Morocco in the 2018 World Cup.
Moreover, Ronaldo holds the record for the most caps in men's international football with 203. He overtook Sergio Ramos's record of 180 caps, then surpassed record holder Bader Al-Mutawa, who had 196 caps for Kuwait.
After scoring twice in Portugal's European Qualifier with the Republic of Ireland on September 1 2021, he passed Daei, who had scored 109 goals for Iran and was the first player in the men's game to reach 100 goals for his country.
| Player | Country | Appearances | Goals |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 203 | 127 |
| Ali Daei | Iran | 148 | 109 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 177 | 104 |
| Sunil Chhetri | India | 143 | 93 |
| Mokhtar Dahari | Malaysia | 142 | 89 |
Where Ronaldo scored his goals
The Al-Nassr star has scored in every competition imaginable. He's won the Euros and the Nations League but has not lifted the World Cup yet.
Here's a breakdown of all of Ronaldo's goals.
| Competition | Goals |
| European Championships | 14 |
| World Cup | 8 |
| Nations League | 7 |
| Euro qualifying | 40 |
| World Cup qualifying | 36 |
| Friendlies | 20 |
Ronaldo's records in international football
Aside from being the leader in international goals scored, Ronaldo holds a few more records in international football.
The Real Madrid legend is the top scorer in Euros qualifying and tournaments with a total of 54 goals. He has also scored in the most European Championships (5).
In addition, no European has scored more goals (107) than the ex-Manchester United star. He also has the most goals in European World Cup qualifying with 36.
Finally, he has scored in the most World Cup tournaments (5).
All stats are courtesy of UEFA.
Breakdown of Cristiano Ronaldo's 859 Goals in the Last 3 Decades
Cristiano Ronaldo has been prolific in front of the goal in the last three decades, emerging as one of the most consistent forwards in the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s.
The 38-year-old forward was the star of the show again as Portugal cruised past Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday in Euro 2024 qualifying, netting a brace for Roberto Martinez's side.
According to Wikipedia, Ronaldo has scored a record 859 senior career goals for club and country and he is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star has also scored at least 100 goals in the last three decades, netting a total of 206 goals in the 2000s, 550 goals in the 2010s, and 101 goals in the 2020s.
Ronaldo is also the leading goal-scorer in international football, with a total of 127 goals scored for the Portugal national team in over 200 appearances.
The previous five players who managed to score at least 100 goals in three decades are Lionel Messi, Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Pelé, and Romario.
Ronaldo passes Haaland as top scorer
Sports Brief also reported on Cristiano Ronaldo usurping Erling Haaland as the outright top scorer in 2023 following his brace against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday.
He maintained his impressive form from the Slovakia game, where he netted twice, aiding Portugal's qualification for next summer's European Championship in Germany.
The 38-year-old veteran showed no signs of slowing down from Friday night's match, replicating his success against the Dragons at the Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica.
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