 "Cristiano Ronaldo applauds fans after being substituted. Image: Reuters")
Cristiano Ronaldo starred again as Portugal thrashed Armenia 5-0 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers opener on Saturday night. The 40-year-old scored twice in the match as Portugal dominated from start to finish.
Portugal got off to a fast start when Joao Felix scored in the 10th minute. Ronaldo doubled the lead in the 21st minute with a close-range finish, followed by Joao Cancelo’s goal in the 32nd minute. Ronaldo then added a brilliant goal in the 46th minute, before Portugal scored the fifth goal later in the match.
Ronaldo surpasses Messi
With his second goal, Ronaldo reached 140 international goals and also surpassed Argentine rival Lionel Messi (36 goals in 72 matches) in the all-time goal-scoring list in World Cup Qualifiers. Ronaldo, with 38 goals in 48 games, has now moved closer to Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz, who has the most World Cup qualifier goals.
| Player | Country | Matches | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Ruiz | Guatemala | 47 | 39 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 48 | 38 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 72 | 36 |
| Ali Daei | Iran | 51 | 35 |
| Robert Lewandowski | Poland | 40 | 31 |
| Luis Suarez | Uruguay | 64 | 29 |
After scoring his first goal, Ronaldo paid an emotional tribute to his late teammate Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away in a car crash in July, along with his brother Andre Silva. Cancelo celebrated his own goal with Jota’s trademark video game celebration.
“Diogo will always be with us. Celebrating Joao Cancelo was a beautiful moment,” midfielder Joao Neves said after the match.
Ronaldo also shared on social media that this win is just the “first step” in his aim to play in a sixth FIFA World Cup next year and win it. This is the only major trophy that has eluded Ronaldo for so many years.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is probably going to be Ronaldo’s last chance to win the coveted trophy when it is held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Messi will also be playing in his sixth World Cup, making both of them an exception since most other players have only played in five.