The Numbers Behind Cristiano Ronaldo's International Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo, renowned for his exceptional international career spanning nearly two decades, has achieved an astonishing feat of scoring 122 goals for Portugal - a remarkable accomplishment that places him at the top of the all-time list of male international goalscorers. Despite the passage of time, Ronaldo continues to display his prolific skills as a frontman, indicating that he has no intentions of retiring anytime soon. As he approaches his 200th international appearance, his primary objective will undoubtedly be to further extend this incredible record.

Provided here is an extensive analysis of Ronaldo's 122 goals for Portugal:

Last updated June 2023

BY YEAR

• Dating back to 2004, Ronaldo has netted an international goal in 20 separate calendar years, with his most prolific period being the 14 goals he scored in 2019.

BY COMPETITION

• 71 of Ronaldo's goals have come in qualifying matches for either the World Cup or European Championships, while his 14 goals in the European Championship proper is the most any player has managed.

BY PITCH AREA

• 18% of the Portuguese star's goals have come from outside the penalty area, while over 20% have come from within the six yard box.

BY METHOD

• Unsurprisingly, the majority of Ronaldo's goals for Portugal - over half - have come from his preferred right foot, although it should be noted that he is just shy of 30 international goals with both his left foot and head (both 28).

BY HALF

• There is a noticeable contrast when it comes to when Ronaldo finds the net, with considerably more (72) coming in the second half compared to the first (50).

BY MINUTE

• Once again we see Ronaldo's tendency to score late on in games, with an incredible 34 goals coming between the 76th and 90th minute (includes injury-time).

NATIONS SCORED AGAINST

• Ronaldo's favourite opponents have been Luxembourg, whom he has struck against 11 times in his career, while seven other nations have seen Ronaldo score against them at least five times.
• Overall, the former Man Utd, Real Madrid and Juventus star has scored against 47 different countries in a Portugal shirt.

TOP ASSISTERS

• Ronaldo's lengthy international career has spanned numerous generations but his most frequent assister is long-time Portugal teammate Joao Moutinho.