Jakarta, ThedailyID — Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football with a record 146 goals for Portugal. However, one question remains: can any active player surpass his remarkable achievement?
Ronaldo scored 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal. His tally could still increase if he plays a farewell match for the national team following his retirement decision.
Since making his international debut in 2003, Ronaldo has established himself as the highest-scoring player in men’s international football. He surpassed Iran’s Ali Daei, who previously held the record with 108 goals in 2006.
Now, attention turns to the players who could eventually challenge Ronaldo’s record.
Among active footballers, Romelu Lukaku currently comes closest, with 94 international goals. However, at 33, the Belgian striker faces a difficult task in closing the 52-goal gap.
Robert Lewandowski also faces a similar challenge. The 38-year-old Poland forward has scored 92 international goals, while England captain Harry Kane has recorded 91 at the age of 33.
Meanwhile, two younger stars appear to have more time to pursue the milestone: Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
Mbappe, 27, has scored 67 goals for France, while 26-year-old Haaland has netted 65 for Norway.
Interestingly, Mbappe averages 0.63 goals per international appearance, slightly above Ronaldo’s rate of 0.62. Haaland, meanwhile, boasts an even higher average of 1.1 goals per match.
Based on these figures, both players have the potential to challenge Ronaldo’s record. Nevertheless, they will need extraordinary consistency over many years to reach the 146-goal mark.
For now, Ronaldo’s achievement remains the benchmark for the next generation of international football stars.
