Football greats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have once again reminded the world why they stand above the rest — both setting new records for their countries within the same weekend.
Messi was in top form as Argentina cruised to a 6–0 victory over Puerto Rico in a friendly match. The 37-year-old maestro registered two assists, taking his total for Argentina to 60 — the highest ever recorded by any player for a national team. This milestone pushes him past the previous record of 58, once shared by Neymar and Landon Donovan. Across his glittering career, Messi now boasts an incredible 398 assists in professional football.
While Messi was creating history with his playmaking, Cristiano Ronaldo was busy rewriting his own chapter in goal-scoring greatness. The Portuguese captain netted twice in Portugal’s 2–2 draw against Hungary during a World Cup qualifier. Although the late equalizer from Dominik Szoboszlai denied Portugal an early qualification, Ronaldo’s brace sealed his position as the highest goal scorer in World Cup qualifying history.
The 40-year-old now has 41 goals in World Cup qualifiers, surpassing Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz, who held the previous record with 39. Despite the draw, Portugal still lead Group F by five points, with two games remaining. Their next opportunity to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup comes on November 13, when they face the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
Top 10 All-Time World Cup Qualifier Goal Scorers
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Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 41 goals
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Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala) – 39 goals
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Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 36 goals
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Ali Daei (Iran) – 35 goals
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Robert Lewandowski (Poland) – 33 goals
Two legends. Two records. Same weekend. Football history just got richer.
