Cristiano Ronaldo to score in five World Cups for Portugal
THE PORTUGAL CAPTAIN SCORED IN THE 65TH MINUTE FROM THE PENALTY SPOT — THE 118TH GOAL FOR HIS COUNTRY — TO OPEN THE SCORING AT DOHA’S STADIUM 974
THE FIRST PLAYER TO SCORE IN FIVE WORLD CUPS, MEN’S OR WOMEN’S, WAS MARTA IN 2019, AND CHRISTINE SINCLAIR MATCHED THE FEAT THAT SAME YEAR.
HIS FIRST GOAL AT GERMANY 2006 CAME IN THE NEXT GAME, A PENALTY AGAINST IRAN SIX DAYS LATER.
ANOTHER FOUR YEARS FOR HIS NEXT ONE, WHICH CAME IN THE DYING MOMENTS OF A 7-0 DEMOLITION OF NORTH KOREA AT SOUTH AFRICA 2010
IT WAS A SIMILAR STORY AT BRAZIL 2014 – HE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE FINAL GROUP GAME – AGAINST NONE OTHER THAN GHANA, TO GET OFF THE MARK.
RUSSIA 2018 TURNED OUT TO BE FAR MORE PRODUCTIVE FOR RONALDO. HE OPENED WITH A BREATHTAKING HAT TRICK AGAINST SPAIN AND FOLLOWED THAT UP BY HITTING THE WINNER IN THE NEXT GROUP GAME AGAINST MOROCCO TO TAKE HIS TOURNAMENT HAUL TO FOUR AND HIS OVERALL TALLY TO SEVEN
RONALDO BROKE THE ALL-TIME RECORD IN PORTUGAL’S OPENING GAME AGAINST GHANA – HIS 18TH WORLD CUP APPEARANCE. PORTUGAL WERE AWARDED A PENALTY ON 64 MINUTES AFTER SALISU HAD BROUGHT RONALDO DOWN INSIDE THE BOX