Carlos Ruiz breaks silence after Cristiano Ronaldo ties all-time World Cup Qualifiers goal record

Cristiano Ronaldo’s pursuit of 1,000 career goals continues to make headlines, and along the way, he keeps rewriting history. The Portugal star scored from the penalty spot in his team’s 3-2 win over Hungary in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, a goal that officially tied him with Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz as the top scorer in qualifying history.

The strike marked Ronaldo’s 39th career goal in World Cup Qualifiers, equaling a record Ruiz had held since September 2016, when he surpassed Iran’s Ali Daei at the top of the all-time chart.

Following the milestone, Ruiz addressed the achievement publicly for the first time, sharing his thoughts on social media. The former striker expressed pride in being mentioned alongside Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who sits just behind them with 36 qualifying goals for Argentina.

“Today I discovered that the record for most goals in World Cup Qualifiers finally gained true meaning… nine years later! I think the greatest part is being among those two legends, because that’s when the record takes on real value. As a Central American, it often seems overlooked,” Ruiz wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The Portugal captain is also inching closer to another historic milestone. With his latest goal, Ronaldo now sits at 943 career strikes, leaving him just 57 away from reaching 1,000.

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Cristiano Ronaldo poised to break the record

With Lionel Messi confirming he will no longer play in World Cup Qualifiers for Argentina, the path is clear for Cristiano Ronaldo to surpass Carlos Ruiz’s mark set in 2016.

Portugal’s next fixtures are scheduled for October 11 against Ireland and October 14 against Hungary, both at home. Those matches could provide Ronaldo with the perfect opportunity to claim the record outright in front of Portuguese fans.

All-time top scorers in World Cup Qualifiers

Cristiano Ronaldo currently sits atop the list as the highest-scoring active player in World Cup Qualifiers history. Poland’s Robert Lewandowski also ranks among the top five, joining some of the biggest names in international soccer.

Here’s a look at the top five all-time scorers still competing in qualifiers:

• 1- Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala): 39 goals
• 2- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): 39 goals
• 3- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 36 goals
• 4- Ali Daei (Iran): 35 goals
• 5- Robert Lewandowski (Poland): 32 goals