Advertisement
WATCH: All 11 goals that have...

Sport

WATCH: All 11 goals that have made Ronaldo a Euro record breaker


Share this article


Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed Michel Platini's record as the all-time leading goalscorer at the European Championships on Tuesday.

His late two-goal salvo in Portugal's 3-0 win over Hungary in Budapest were the 36-year old's 10th and 11th goals at the finals.

Platini's record had stood for a whopping 37-years, after his nine-goal haul at Euro '84.

While Platini set his record over five games, it's taken Ronaldo five separate tournaments to reach his eleven (so far).

His first came on home soil, in a game in which he didn't even start.

In the third minute of injury time at the Dragao Stadium in Portugal, Ronaldo rose to meet a corner from Luis Figo to give the hosts a consolation in a 2-1 loss to eventual winners Greece.

The next time Ronaldo found the net didn't count towards his overall total, but was no less crucial. He tucked away Portugal's fourth spot-kick as they beat England on penalties to progress to the semi-finals.

The then 19-year old was now undroppable to Luiz Felipe Scolari, and he would reward that faith by opening the scoring in their semi-final with the Netherlands.

It was another corner from the left that saw Ronaldo double his tally, putting Portugal ahead by directing the ball past Edwin van der Sar.

Ronaldo couldn't prevent Portugal from losing the 2004 final to surprise package Greece, but he rocked up to the 2008 edition as his country's bona fide star.

His first goal of the 2008 Championships came in their second Group A game with the Czech Republic in Geneva.

Fed by Deco, he fired a low shot past the out-stretched Petr Cech to put Portugal 2-1 up in an eventual 3-1 victory.

Goal no.3 at the Euros would be his last in '08.

His fourth and fifth again came at the expense of the Dutch in Portugal's final group game at Euro 2012. A slide-rule pass from Joao Pereira set him up to prod the ball past Maarten Stekelenburg in Kharkiv.

Goal no.5 won Portugal the match. A beautifully weighted pass found Ronaldo, who sold Gregory van der Wiel a dummy before putting his country ahead.

Ronaldo reached his half-dozen four days later in Warsaw. A Joao Moutinho cross and a header from the Real Madrid forward was enough to give Portugal a 1-0 quarter-final win over over the Czechs.

Portugal would emerge as Euro 2016 winners, but their began that campaign in the most underwhelming fashion.

A 1-1 draw with Iceland was followed by a blank against Austria.

But the third game of the group phase saw Ronaldo and Portugal burst into life, albeit while settling for a point again.

Two second half goals helped secure a 3-3 draw with Hungary in Lyon and bring his Euro tally to eight.

Ronaldo equalled Platini's record with the opening goal of Portugal's semi-final win over Wales.

And again, it was a corner from the left. This time Raphael Guerreiro sent the ball into the box where Ronaldo rose above the Welsh defence to head Portugal into the lead.

Portugal were already 1-0 up when Willi Orban fouled Rafa Silva in Budapest.

Up stepped Ronaldo to slot home a record-breaking tenth European Championship goal. And he didn't have to wait long for his eleventh.

The now 36-year old played some neat one-twos around the Magyar box with Rafa Silva, before tucking the ball past Peter Gulacsi.

WATCH | Did Antonio Rudiger bite Paul Pogba?


Share this article


Read more about

Cristiano Ronaldo Euro 2020 European Championship European Championships Joao Moutinho Michel Platini Ronaldo

You might like