Ronaldo has scored 38 goals and provided 11 assists in 48 World Cup qualifying matches throughout his career. In his most recent match against Armenia in Yerevan, the 40-year-old superstar scored twice, including one long-range effort. He has started the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign perfectly, with at least five more matches to further enhance his personal record.

Ronaldo celebrates scoring for Portugal against Armenia in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia, on the evening of 6/9/2025. Photo: Lusa-EPA

The record for most goals in World Cup qualifiers is currently held by former Guatemala forward, Carlos Ruiz, with 39 goals. However, Guatemala has never qualified for a World Cup finals. Ruiz has also retired, so he cannot improve his tally.

Messi has recorded 36 goals and 13 assists in 72 World Cup qualifying matches. The 38-year-old superstar has played more matches because each South American team plays 18 qualifying matches per cycle. Meanwhile, a European team only plays around 6 to 10 qualifying matches per cycle. Messi has played his last official match for Argentina and did not feature in their final South American qualifier against Ecuador on the morning of 10/9. Therefore, the Argentinian captain also has no further opportunity to increase his qualifying goal count.

Ronaldo averages 0.79 goals per qualifying match, compared to Messi's 0.50. However, Portugal's qualifying opponents are often less challenging than Argentina's. In official international matches, Messi has faced teams outside the FIFA top 100 only twice, without scoring. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has played 24 matches against such opponents, scoring 30 goals.

Portugal is in Group F of the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, alongside Hungary, Ireland, and Armenia. Armenia, ranked outside the FIFA top 100, lost 5-0 to Portugal in their opening match on the evening of 6/9. Portugal has five more matches, and if they top the group, they will qualify directly for the World Cup. If they finish second, they will enter the second qualifying round, providing Ronaldo with further opportunities to improve his record.

Hoang An