ATLANTA, GEORGIA—Manchester United’s star striker Cristiano Ronaldo is not done yet in surpassing professional soccer records.
On Saturday, Ronaldo scored his 112th international goal which further extended the men’s record he broke last month in Portugal’s 3-0 friendly win against 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar.
Ronaldo scored the opening goal for his country eight minutes before half-time with a close-range finish after a cross from Manchester United teammate Diogo Dalot deflected off a Qatar defender.
Last September 29, Ronaldo broke the all-time Champions League appearance record with his last-minute goal that helped Manchester United beat Villarreal 2-1.
Ronaldo’s appearance in the game gave him 182 which broke the previous record of retired goalkeeper Iker Casillas 181 appearances.
Holding a record is not new for Ronaldo, the Portuguese soccer superstar also holds several other records in the men’s tournament, including the most titles with five.
He is also the top goalscorer with 137 goals, as well as clocking up the most assists with 42.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi trails Ronaldo in both categories, with 121 goals and 36 assists.
Ronaldo has also scored the most penalties with 19, while Messi is second again with 16.
He has also overtaken Messi as the highest-paid soccer player for 2021.
Based on the top-earning soccer player list released by Forbes, Ronaldo is number one with $125 million earnings before taxes in the 2021-22 season, with $70 million coming from salary and bonuses at United.
The rest will come from endorsements and partnerships with brands including Nike, Herbalife, Clear, and his CR7 brand.
Messi, last year’s top-earning soccer player is second with d a salary of $75 million with an additional $35 million from endorsements for total expected earnings of $110 million.
The Argentine’s strike partner at PSG Neymar, who in May signed a new contract until 2025, is third on the list with total earnings of $95 million.
