Cristiano Ronaldo improved his record for selections in the men’s national team and reached the symbolic bar of 200 caps by starting with Portugal against Iceland on Tuesday in Reykjavik, in qualifying for Euro 2024.
The 38-year-old striker, who joined the Saudi club Al-Nassr in January, was the starter at the start of this fourth qualifying match for the European championship organized in Germany next year.
The five-time Golden Ball seized this record last March, playing his 197th match with the Seleçao against Liechtenstein to dethrone Kuwaiti Bader Al-Mutawa.
In Martinez’s plans
Since the arrival at the start of the year of his new coach, the Spaniard Roberto Martinez, Ronaldo has played the first three qualifying matches for Euro 2024 and scored twice in Portugal’s success against Liechtenstein (4-0 ) and Luxembourg (6-0).
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and then Juventus Turin player also played the entire game last Saturday against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but he did not score any of the three goals in the Portuguese victory (3-0 ).
First selection in 2003
Cristiano Ronaldo honored his first cap on August 20, 2003, at 18 years, 6 months and 15 days, when he came into play in a friendly match against Kazakhstan when Portugal were coached by Brazilian Luis Felipe Scolari.
In nearly 20 years of international career, the winger turned center forward has faced some 70 different nations and participated in all major international competitions since Euro 2004, five European Championships and five World Cups.
In the role of captain and attacking leader of Portugal, he won the first two major trophies in the history of his country: Euro 2016 and the League of Nations 2019.