Ali Daei’s world record for most international goals, once considered impossible to match has been broken by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo is now the leading goalscorer in the history of men’s international football.
The Portuguese captain who completed a stunning return to Manchester United on deadline day, scored late on in Wednesday’s World Cup qualifying match against the Republic Of Ireland to bring up his 110th International goal.
Ronaldo’s record breaking goal came in the final minute of normal time. Moment after he saw a free-kick parried away by Gavin Bazanu, he was on hand to plant a trademark header into the bottom-left corner from Goncalo Guedes’ teasing cross.
The header restored parity in Faro, and he then doubled his tally in the dying embers of stoppage time to claim the points and take his total to 111 goals.
The 36-year-old, along with the Iran legend Daei, is one of only two men to score more than 100 times in International matches in football history.
He scored his first Portugal goal in June 2004, heading in a Luis Figo cross in a 2-1 group-stage defeat to eventual European champions Greece.
Ronaldo’s 100th goal came 16 years later when he scored a free-kick in a 2-0 Nations League win over Sweden in September last year.
His favourite opponents are Sweden and Lithuania, against whom he has scored seven times. news18.com/ FotMob