The relentless Cristiano Ronaldo has once again made history with the Portugal national team. With a brace against Hungary, the Al Nassr star not only led his side’s comeback in Lisbon but also reached 41 goals in World Cup qualifiers, extending his record as the all-time top scorer in World Cup qualifying history. With these two new goals, the Portuguese icon now has 948 official career goals — an astonishing milestone for a player who continues to defy time.

Historic brace and another record for CR7

The first goal came in the 22nd minute, when Nelson Semedo delivered a pinpoint pass that Cristiano Ronaldo calmly finished to equalize. But the real masterpiece came just before halftime. In the 45+3 minute, Nuno Mendes made a brilliant run down the left flank and crossed perfectly into the box, where Cristiano was waiting with his trademark killer instinct, striking first-time to make it 2–1 with trademark class and precision.

The goal was celebrated wildly by the crowd at the Estádio José Alvalade, fully aware they were witnessing yet another chapter in their captain’s never-ending legend. With this double, CR7 surpassed his previous record of 40 goals, widening the gap over Carlos Ruiz (39), Lionel Messi (36), Ali Daei (35), and Robert Lewandowski (32).

At 40 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down. His competitive fire remains as fierce as ever, both with Portugal and Al Nassr, where he has already scored four goals in four league matches in Saudi Arabia.

Pepe praises him: “Cristiano can keep breaking records for many more years”

After the match, his longtime friend and former teammate Pepe praised Ronaldo’s longevity and mentality. “I don’t know when he’ll stop playing, but I hope it’s not anytime soon. He keeps proving he can break records at 40 and make it look easy. The day we turn on the TV and don’t see his name will feel strange,” said the Portuguese defender in an interview with beIN Sports.

The two shared a golden decade together at Real Madrid and with the Portugal national team, winning titles such as Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League.

Now, Cristiano Ronaldo remains fully focused on leading Portugal toward the 2026 World Cup and continuing his dominance with Al Nassr. Every match, every goal, and every record only reinforce one truth: the legacy of CR7 knows no limits. At 40 years old, the Portuguese captain continues to prove why he is a living legend of world football.