Portugal overcame Ghana 3-2 in a Group H match on November 24, owing to Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty, which put them ahead for the first time in the game.
Ronaldo must be relieved after the triumph, having been in the proverbial “eye of the storm” following his controversial exit from Manchester United. When he scored in the 65th minute of the contest, one of the most decorated players in the game also surpassed the milestone.
The Portugal captain has now become the first player to score in five different editions of the world cup. He first scored in 2006 during his world cup debut, when he was just 21 years old. In Portugal’s second game of the tournament, against Iran, Ronaldo scored his first FIFA World Cup goal. He successfully converted a penalty in the 81st minute to give Portugal a 2-0 victory. He made history with that goal, becoming the smallest Portuguese player ever to do so in a FIFA World Cup game.
Ronaldo went on to score in the four FIFA World Cups that followed, in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. Cristiano Ronaldo broke the record for the oldest player to ever score a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup when Portugal overcame Spain in the tournament’s opening game.
CR7’s goal against Ghana was memorable for another reason. The goal appears to have unlocked the floodgates of records for the renowned player. With the goal, the Portuguese forward eclipsed Lionel Messi as the most prolific goal-scorer in FIFA World Cup history.
Lionel Messi had six goals in 19 appearances prior to the 2022 World Cup. With his penalty kick against Saudi Arabia in Argentina’s first game, he increased his tally to seven in 20 games. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has eight goals in 18 World Cup appearances.
