First to 800 career wins, Ronaldo makes Portugal squad for upcoming friendlies
Cristiano Ronaldo, who had just recently become the first footballer to achieve 800 career wins, was included in the Portugal squad for the upcoming friendly matches against Sweden and Slovenia.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez on Friday announced a 30-member squad. On March 21, they will play against Sweden in Guimaraes, and five days later, they will face Slovenia in Ljubljana.
Promising players Jota Silva, who plays for Vitoria Guimaraes, and Francisco Conceicao, who features for FC Porto, were called up to the Portugal squad for the first time for the friendly matches ahead of Euro 2024, to be held in Germany from June 14.
Ronaldo's call-up to the national squad is just days after the 39-year-old reached another milestone in his illustrious career. Ronaldo's Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr managed a 4-3 win over Al-Ain in the AFC Champions League quarterfinal second leg on Tuesday, but a 1-0 loss in the first leg for the Portuguese star's side meant the tie had to be decided on penalties. Ronaldo converted from the spot but Al-Nassr lost the match 3-1 on penalties and bowed out of the tournament.
However, a win in the second-leg regulation time meant Ronaldo took home another record. According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), the Portuguese striker is the first player in the history of football to reach 800 career victories.
Ronaldo now has 125 victories with the Portuguese national side and a total of 675 wins for the five clubs he played for in a career spanning over 20 years -- Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr. The majority of those wins, unsurprisingly, came during his nine-year stint with the Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Ronaldo also has 125 wins in the most elite European competition, UEFA Champions League.
Boasting 713 career wins, Lionel Messi is the closest on the list to Ronaldo.
Ronaldo also reached another milestone as he netted his 50th goal in 58 matches for Al Nassr. He reached the landmark on Friday during their 1-0 win over Roberto Firmino's Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League. The 39-year-old is the leading goalscorer in the Saudi Pro League this season with 22 goals.
Portugal squad:
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton/ENG), Rui Patricio (AS Roma/ITA)
Defenders: Joao Cancelo (FC Barcelona/ESP), Nelson Semedo (Wolverhampton/ENG), Joao Mario (FC Porto), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United/ENG), Raphael Guerreiro (FC Bayern Munich/GER), Nuno Mendes (PSG/FRA), Diogo Leite (Union Berlin/GER), Ruben Dias (Manchester City/ENG), Pepe (FC Porto), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Gonçalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), Toti Gomes (Wolverhampton/ENG), Danilo Pereira (PSG/FRA)
Midfielder: Joao Palhinha (Fulham/ENG), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal/KSA), Joao Neves (Benfica), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United/ENG), Otavio Monteiro (Al Nasr/KSA), Vitinha (PSG/FRA), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City/ENG), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/ENG)
Forwards: Francisco Conceiçao (FC Porto), Jota Silva (Vitoria Guimaraes), Ricardo Trincao (Sporting Lisbon), Bruma (Sporting Braga), Rafael Leao (AC Milan/ITA), Joao Felix (FC Barcelona/ESP), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr/KSA), Gonçalo Ramos (PSG/FRA)