Cristiano Ronaldo Scores Late Winner in Record 200th Game for Portugal

AP

14:20 JST, June 21, 2023

BERLIN (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo became the first men’s player to make 200 international appearances and celebrated the milestone by scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute as Portugal beat Iceland 1-0 on Tuesday in European Championship qualifying.

The 38-year-old Ronaldo was honored by Guinness World Records before kickoff for reaching 200 games for Portugal almost 20 years after he made his debut. And he was celebrating at the end, too, after being on hand to score the late winner from close range and keep Portugal on track for Euro 2024 qualification with its fourth win from four games in Group J.

Ronaldo padded his record for international goals as well, by netting his 123rd for Portugal — making it another memorable night for the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star.

“So happy. It’s that kind of moment that you never expect to do it, 200 caps. For me it’s an unbelievable achievement,” Ronaldo told UEFA’s website. “Of course, to score the winning goal, it’s even more special.”

Ronaldo’s teammates Rafael Leao and Bruno Fernandes had looked more likely to provide an opening in Reykjavik, until Iceland midfielder Willum Willumsson was sent off with 10 minutes of normal time remaining for a second yellow card.

Ronaldo had missed several chances and was booked for diving in the 83rd, before he finally got the winner when Goncalo Inacio headed the ball down for the forward to score from close range. Even then there was an anxious wait for a VAR check before Ronaldo could celebrate in his own distinctive style.

Also, Luxembourg upset Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 away thanks to goals from Danel Sinani and Yvandro Borges Sanches, while Slovakia beat Liechtenstein 1-0.