Cristiano Ronaldo made history twice on Tuesday night as he scored the only goal of the game in Portugal’s 1-0 win over Iceland in their Euro 2024 qualifier.
The 38-year-old superstar became the first men’s player to play 200 times for his country and received a Guinness World Records certificate before kick-off.
He also added to his own record of international goals, scoring his 123rd in the 89th minute after VAR overturned an offside call.
Iceland, who had Willum Willumsson sent off for a second booking in the 80th minute, stayed fifth with three points.
Portugal had the lion’s share of possession and chances, but were denied by Iceland’s stubborn defence and goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson.
Ronaldo had a header saved by Halldorsson in the first half and a free kick blocked by the wall in the second.
But he finally got his reward in the final minutes, when he pounced on Goncalo Inacio’s header from a corner and tapped it in.
The referee initially disallowed the goal for offside, but changed his mind after checking with the video assistant referee.
On his record 200th cap for Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo scores his 123rd international goal 😤 pic.twitter.com/4QDewa9otd
— Nitesh Singh (@NiteshS76206196) June 20, 2023
Ronaldo hugged his teammates and smiled as he celebrated his historic night.
Portugal will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in their next qualifier on September 2, while Iceland will host Liechtenstein on the same day.
