Cristiano Ronaldo broke another record following Portugal’s 1-0 win over Iceland on Tuesday night.
The 38-year-old who was handed a Guinness World Record before he started the European Championship qualifier as it was his 200th international appearance, a figure that no one else in elite European football history has come close to achieving.
Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa is the closest with 196 appearances. Bader Al-Mutawa, who like Ronaldo was born in 1985 and also made his international debut in 2003, had broken the record for most international appearances in football previously set by Soh Chin Ann of Malaysia in June 2022.
“I’m so happy. For me it’s an unbelievable achievement”
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 20, 2023
We spoke to Mr 200 @Cristiano Ronaldo… pic.twitter.com/LpaInwxHej
Al-Mutawa’s tally could have been a lot more had Kuwait not been suspended from international football twice – 2007-08 and 2015-17 – for administrative issues.
Cristiano Ronaldo est entré ce soir dans le livre Guiness des records ! 🥇
— Vibes Foot (@VibesFoot) June 20, 2023
Il est le joueur ayant disputé le plus de matchs (200) avec une sélection nationale. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/2NbzjTy79k
England’s Billy Wright, meanwhile, was the first footballer to make 100 international appearances. He played his last match in 1959, finishing with a total of 105 international caps for his country.
There are well over 500 players who have played more than 100 matches for their country.
