“I don’t chase records,” Cristiano Ronaldo has been forced to stress more than once in recent years. “They chase me.”
The statistical landmarks appear to be pretty quick. A brace for Ronaldo in Portugal’s 5–0 thumping of Armenia on Saturday afternoon provided the veteran international with yet another scoring milestone to savor.
Ronaldo boasts a hulking tally of 38 goals across World Cup qualifiers, overtaking the 36 Lionel Messi has amassed for Argentina. Despite surpassing his familiar foe, Ronaldo doesn’t quite boast the outright record—yet. Retired Guatemalan forward Carlos Ruiz, a slippery customer nicknamed “The Little Fish,” racked up an unrivalled 39 goals during various Concacaf qualifying campaigns, per .
Despite this impressive haul, Ruiz never once took Guatemala to a World Cup—or even a playoff to reach the finals.
