World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Cristiano Ronaldo eyes another historic record | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo aims for a new historic record in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Cristiano Ronaldo/@France24

Cristiano Ronaldo embarks on a new World Cup qualifying campaign with a clear objective: to become the all-time top scorer in qualification history.

The Portuguese superstar currently has 36 goals, just three shy of Carlos Ruiz of Guatemala (39 goals). After scoring a brace against Venezuela, Lionel Messi has also reached the 36-goal mark, surpassing former Iranian striker Ali Daei (35 goals).

The Al-Nassr striker has been called up by Portugal to face Armenia (September 6) and Hungary (September 9) in the opening two matches of Group F in the qualifiers.

Top 5 all-time leading scorers in qualifiers:

1- Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala): 39 goals

2- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): 36 goals

3- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 36 goals

4- Ali Daei (Iran): 35 goals

5- Robert Lewandowski (Poland): 31 goals