Cristiano Ronaldo has surpassed Ali Daei’s record and is now the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s international soccer. Recently completing a shocking return to the club that set off his career in Europe, Manchester United, he has claimed one of the most prestigious individual records in the sport. This record came off of a 2022 World Cup qualifier game against the Republic of Ireland, where Ronaldo solidified his place as one of, if not the best international player of all time. 

His 89th-minute header, which was very much needed, tied what seemed to be a lost game up at 1-1. At this point, Cristiano had already broken the record, netting his 110th goal for Portugal. Now very much on the front foot, Portugal, a promising squad with many European stars, was pressing down on the necks of Ireland. After what was a loathsome 5 minute period for Ireland, trying to hang on to any sense of success, in the 95th minute, Ronaldo scored yet another header. This put him two goals ahead of Daei’s record, and one step closer to getting Portugal into the upcoming world cup. Portugal’s 2-1 win did not come easy, but it was more than rewarding both for the country and for their main man, Cristiano Ronaldo. He still has some way to go to surpass the all-time record, which is held by a woman, Christine Sinclair. The Canadian has a staggering 187 international goals. Will Ronaldo ever get there? We’ll just have to see. 

All good news brings bad news, and it wouldn’t be right for me to leave that part out. Ronaldo’s shirtless celebration after scoring his 2nd goal earned him a yellow card, which means he is suspended for Portugal’s next World Cup qualifier versus Azerbaijan next week. In light of this suspension, Portugal’s coach, Fernando Santos, has decided not to let Ronaldo play on Saturday in a friendly against Qatar, and released him from the squad. This is good news for Manchester United, who can now accelerate his move back to where his European career started. Overall, it’s been a good week for Ronaldo, Portugal fans, and Manchester United fans around the world.