Ronaldo closes in on another milestone

Cristiano Ronaldo is on the verge of another milestone in his glittering career. The Portugal forward is set to be the first male footballer to make his 200th international appearance if he features as expected against Iceland in Reykjavík in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Tuesday.

With 199 caps for Portugal, Ronaldo already holds the record for most appearances by a male footballer on the international stage. He surpassed Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait earlier this year, who had played 196 games for his country between 2003 and 2022.

Ronaldo's 199th cap was in their 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in Lisbon last Saturday. And even though the perennial record breaker was unable to add to his tally of 122 international goals, also the most by a male footballer, Ronaldo left a strong impression on the pitch. 

"He is a unique player with 199 caps," Portugal coach Roberto Martinez told reporters after the match. "His attitude was perfect, without the ball, always working, following the team's plan. I am very satisfied. [He is] an example of a player who wants the best for the team."   

Ronaldo, however, will not be the first footballer to crack the 200-cap milestone in football. In fact, if Ronaldo plays on Tuesday, he will be the 27th footballer to make 200 appearances for his country. 

As many as 26 female footballers have made 200 or more full international appearances during their careers. There are six female footballers who have more goals than Ronaldo, with Canada legend Christine Sinclair leading the list in this regard. With 190 goals in 323 games, the powerful striker is the world's all-time leading international goal scorer having netted at least one goal for Canada in every calendar year between 2000 and 2022.