Ronaldo becomes all-time top scorer in World Cup qualifiers

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·14 October 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo’s two first-half goals against Hungary were enough for him to become the top scorer in World Cup qualification history.

By reaching 40 goals in World Cup qualifiers, the Portuguese star moved past Guatemalan legend Carlos Ruiz to claim the record outright.

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The top five is completed by Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Ali Daei (Iran), and Lionel Messi (Argentina).

It’s also worth noting that Ronaldo remains the all-time leading scorer in international football.

With 948 career goals to his name, the remarkable milestone of 1,000 now looks increasingly within reach - just 52 more to go.