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Cristiano Ronaldo is set to lead Portugal at the FIFA World Cup once again this summer. He has already created history before kick off by becoming the first player, along with Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa, to be selected for six editions.
The Portugal captain has already announced that the 2006 edition will be his final one, as he does not see himself playing beyond his 45th birthday in 2030. He will be aiming to go out on a high by winning the trophy for the first time in his career and for his country.
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Before the kick-off this week, we take a look at Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic moments from the World Cups so far:
#5 – Cristiano Ronaldo’s first World Cup goal
June 17, 2006 – a date Cristiano Ronaldo will never forget as he scored his first-ever goal at the FIFA World Cup. Portugal faced Iran in the group stage, when he stepped up to score a late penalty.
Luis Figo was driving into the penalty box when Yahya Golmohammadi caught up with a late tackle. The referee spotted the foul and was quick to point to the spot, awarding Portugal a penalty.
With the scoreline at 1-0 and just 10 minutes left on the clock, the 21-year-old stepped up and sent the goalkeeper, Ebrahim Mirzapour, the wrong way to make it 2-0.
#4 – Off the back magic vs North Korea
Ronaldo loves to score goals, and that is not unknown to fans worldwide. When Portugal were winning 5-0 against North Korea at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and he had still not got on the scoresheet, the then-Real Madrid superstar was determined to find the back of the net.
In the 87th minute, the Portuguese superstar did everything he could to get to the ball ahead of the North Korean goalkeeper, Myong-Guk Ri.
Liédson won the ball off the defenders, and it rolled towards the penalty box when Ronaldo made contact with it, but he overran it.
However, to everyone’s surprise, including the forward, the ball bounced up and fell on his back before falling at his feet. He made no mistake and put it into the empty net before turning around and smiling as he was relieved to get his goal.
While it is just another goal for many matches, this truly showed that the ball is the best friend for some players.
#3 – Wink after Wayne Rooney’s red card
Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney were Manchester United teammates when they faced off at the 2006 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals. The England star was sent off in the game, as the Three Lions crashed out after losing the penalty shootout.
During the match, Rooney infamously stamped on Ricardo Carvalho’s groin, prompting several Portuguese players to surround the referee and demand a red card. Ronaldo was among them before Rooney pushed him away from the official.
It did not stop the referee from giving the Englishman a red card in the game. Soon, the cameras caught the Portuguese forward winking at his dugout after the sending off.
The Englishman later admitted that he tried to get Ronaldo sent off in the game several times, but getting the red himself. Maybe the two had a bet about who would get the other a red card?
#2 – Cristiano Ronaldo scores hattrick vs Spain in 2018
Scoring goals at the FIFA World Cup is a dream for all footballers, and the ones who do finally achieve it push for more. In the 21st century, only five players had managed to score hattricks at the tournament before Cristiano Ronaldo added his name to the list.
The Portugal captain opened the scoring in the game via the penalty spot, adding his name to the history books as the first player from his country to score at four different editions. He doubled his tally right at halftime, thanks to some help from David De Gea, who fumbled the shot straight at him.
Things changed swiftly after the break, as Spain scored twice to take a 3-2 lead. With Portugal staring at a defeat, Ronaldo stepped up to score a stunning free kick with two minutes left in the game and get them a point.
#1 – Penalty vs Ghana – first player to score in 5 editions
Cristiano Ronaldo loves creating history, and he broke another record at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He found the back of the net via a penalty against Ghana and became the first footballer ever to score at five different editions.
He won the penalty in the 65th minute, when the score was 0-0, and Portugal went on to win 3-2 and seal the top spot in the table. Joao Felix and Rafael Leao scored the other goals, while Osman Bukari and Andre Ayew scored for Ghana.
This year, Ronaldo has the chance to become the first to score in six editions. He faces DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia in the group stage.
Edited by Sripad
