Football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have once again made global headlines, each setting remarkable new milestones for their national teams over the same weekend.
In Argentina’s emphatic 6–0 victory over Puerto Rico in an international friendly, Messi delivered two assists that propelled him past a historic benchmark. The contributions brought his total assists for Argentina to 60, breaking the all-time international record of 58, previously held jointly by Brazil’s Neymar and U.S. legend Landon Donovan.
The record means Messi, 37, now holds the most assists ever recorded for a national team in football history. Across his professional career, the Argentine maestro has now registered an extraordinary 398 assists in all competitions.
While Messi was setting a new record for creativity, his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo was busy rewriting the history books on the goalscoring front.
The Portugal captain, aged 40, scored twice in a 2–2 draw against Hungary in a World Cup qualifying match. Although Portugal missed the chance to seal early qualification for the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo’s brace took him to 41 goals in World Cup qualifiers — breaking the previous record of 39 goals held by Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz.
Despite Portugal’s disappointment after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser from Dominik Szoboszlai, Ronaldo’s performance ensured he now stands alone as the highest goalscorer in World Cup qualifying history.
With the result, Portugal remain five points clear at the top of Group F and can still secure their spot at the 2026 tournament when they face the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on November 13.
Top 5 All-Time World Cup Qualifying Goalscorers
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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
With these latest feats, Messi and Ronaldo — two of football’s greatest ever — continue to redefine the limits of longevity, consistency, and excellence on the international stage.