The records continue to tumble for Cristiano Ronaldo despite now being 36 years-old, which is retirement age for many players – but he just continues to deliver at the highest level.
On Wednesday night the forward scored his 110th and 111th goals for Portugal to become the highest scoring player at international level in history – overtaking Iran’s Ali Daei whose record of 109 goals had stood since 2006.
It’s an incredible achievement and Ronaldo’s goalscoring exploits put him 27 goals clear of his nearest competitor from Europe (UEFA), the legendary Ferenc Puskas (84 goals). And with the 2022 Qatar World Cup approaching ever closer, it looks inevitable that he’s going to pull away even further.
BetVictor Football has analysed Ronaldo’s outstanding international figures, looking at everything from who’s assisted his goals and how many he’s scored since turning 30, right through to which his favourites nations are to score against, and how he’s scored each goal.
Ronaldo has developed from a skillful winger into the ultimate poacher and the stats back that up. Of his 111 international goals, just over half (60) were scored with his preferred right foot, supported by 27 headers and 25 from his left foot.
Over 78% of his international goals for Portugal have come from open play (87), along with 10 free-kicks and 14 penalties.
Reaching the Summit
Ronaldo sits proudly at the summit of international football when it comes to goals scored, ahead of some true legends of the game. But no player on the list below has picked up more caps than the Portugal forward, which puts many of the other big names on the list ahead of him when it comes to goals per game (GPG).
| Player | Nation | Caps | Goals | GPG |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 180 | 111 | 0.62 |
| Ali Daei | Iran | 149 | 109 | 0.73 |
| Ferenc Puskás | Hungary | 85 | 84 | 0.99 |
| Pelé | Brazil | 92 | 77 | 0.84 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 151 | 76 | 0.5 |
| Miroslav Klose | Germany | 137 | 71 | 0.52 |
| Robert Lewandowski | Poland | 122 | 69 | 0.57 |
| Gerd Müller | West Germany | 62 | 68 | 1.1 |
| Neymar | Brazil | 111 | 68 | 0.61 |
| Robbie Keane | Republic of Ireland | 146 | 68 | 0.47 |
| Didier Drogba | Ivory Coast | 105 | 65 | 0.62 |
| Romelu Lukaku | Belgium | 98 | 64 | 0.65 |
| Luis Suárez | Uruguay | 123 | 64 | 0.52 |
| Ronaldo | Brazil | 98 | 62 | 0.63 |
| Zlatan Ibrahimović | Sweden | 118 | 62 | 0.53 |
Ronaldo has Scored 58 International Goals Since Turning 30
His overall GPG puts him behind the likes of Didier Drogba, Ronaldo Nazario and Romelu Lukaku. But his development from being a tricky winger into a ruthless finisher is displayed by his goalscoring exploits since turning 30.
Alongside dominating at club level since moving into a central position, he’s emulated that success for Portugal by averaging almost a goal a game since his 30th birthday – leaving the likes of Daei, Messi and Lewandowski far behind.
| Performance Since Turning 30 | Caps | Goals | GPG |
| Ali Daei | 78 | 61 | 0.78 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 60 | 58 | 0.97 |
| Miroslav Klose | 57 | 31 | 0.54 |
| Lionel Messi | 28 | 17 | 0.60 |
| Robert Lewandowski | 18 | 13 | 0.72 |
Which Teams Have Conceded the Most Against Ronaldo?
His GPG speaks for itself and highlights just how ruthless he’s become in front of goal as he’s developed and matured as a player. Defenders fear him and none more so than those of Lithuania and Sweden as they’re the nations that have conceded the most international goals to Ronaldo, seven each.
The highest ranked side to feel the wrath of Ronaldo is Roberto Martinez’s Belgium, with The Red Devils conceding three times to the 36-year-old, the same as Spain.
| Opponent | Goals | FIFA World Ranking |
| Lithuania | 7 | 134th |
| Sweden | 7 | 17th |
| Andorra | 6 | 156th |
| Hungary | 6 | 37th |
| Luxembourg | 6 | 96th |
| Armenia | 5 | 88th |
| Latvia | 5 | 136th |
| Estonia | 4 | 110th |
| Faroe Islands | 4 | 114th |
| Netherlands | 4 | 12th |
| Belgium | 3 | 1st |
| Denmark | 3 | 11th |
| Northern Ireland | 3 | 51st |
| Russia | 3 | 41st |
| Spain | 3 | 7th |
| Switzerland | 3 | 14th |
Which Players Have Provided the Most Assists?
It goes without saying that Ronaldo is Portugal’s best and most important player. But he can’t do it all alone. Over the years he’s played alongside some magnificent talents which is highlighted by the names of those who’ve assisted him.
Wolves’ Joao Moutinho and tricky winger Ricardo Quaresma lead the way, each teeing up the forward on eight occasions. Closely followed by Manchester City man Bernardo Silva and Nani, both on six.
| Player | Assists |
| Joao Moutinho | 8 |
| Ricardo Quaresma | 8 |
| Bernardo Silva | 6 |
| Nani | 6 |
| Deco | 5 |
| João Mário | 4 |
| Joåo Pereira | 3 |
| Luís Figo | 3 |
| Goncalo Guedes | 3 |
| Diogo Jota | 2 |
