'Lord of Goals' stands out again: Portugal captivated by Ronaldo

Shortly after the break, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was given a starting position by coach Roberto Martínez against Liechtenstein, found the net. Throughout the first half, the Portuguese superstar was searching for a goal and just a minute into the second half, he found the needed space. Diogo Jota sent Ronaldo through, who finished with a powerful shot into the roof of the net. This marked Ronaldo's 865th (!) goal in his professional career.

He has scored 128 goals for Portugal, and his goal against Liechtenstein meant that he landed in double figures for the second consecutive Euro qualification period. In the previous cycle towards Euro 2020, Ronaldo scored eleven goals, and with one match remaining, his tally stands at ten goals. With this, Ronaldo is the joint top scorer, having caught up with Romelu Lukaku on Thursday evening.

With a total of 41 goals, Ronaldo is the all-time top scorer in Euro qualification. Interestingly, he was never the top scorer over a single cycle. Players like Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski, and Klaas Jan Huntelaar have outscored him in the past. However, Ronaldo has consistently continued to score. The significant lead he holds over the second-ranked player on the all-time top scorers list is telling. Robbie Keane, who retired as an Ireland international in 2016, scored 23 goals across various Euro qualification periods.

It's no wonder then that A Bola has dubbed Ronaldo the 'Lord of Goals'. The number nine hundred is also increasingly mentioned in Portugal. Ronaldo has a contract in Saudi Arabia that runs for almost two more years, and he is physically fit enough to shine during international periods. For Record, this is reason enough to have a separate page on their website called 'Ronaldo's Diary'. Readers can find everything about Ronaldo here, especially his pursuit of his nine hundredth career goal.