IMAGE: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice on his record 197th cap in Portugal’s 4-0 win over Liechtenstein. Photograph: Pedro Nunes/Reuters
Cristiano Ronaldo set a new world record by making his 197th international appearance for Portugal against Liechtenstein on Thursday, marking the occasion with two goals to take his tally to 120.
Ronaldo surpassed the European landmark of 180, set by Spain's Sergio Ramos, back in 2021 while his last international appearance, against Morocco in the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, drew him level with Bader Al-Mutawa's previous world record of 196 outings for Kuwait.
Now, the 38-year-old is in his own league!
The following are the top 10 most-capped players in men's soccer:
| RANK | PLAYER | COUNTRY | APPEARANCES | DEBUT YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 197 | 2003 |
| 2 | Bader Al-Mutawa | Kuwait | 196 | 2003 |
| 3 | Soh Chin Ann | Malaysia | 195 | 1969 |
| 4 | Ahmed Hassan | Egypt | 184 | 1995 |
| 5 | Ahmed Mubarak | Oman | 183 | 2003 |
| 6 | Sergio Ramos | Spain | 180 | 2005 |
| 7 | Andres Guardado | Mexico | 179 | 2005 |
| 8 | Mohamed Al-Deayea | Saudi Arabia | 178 | 1993 |
| 9 | Claudio Suarez | Mexico | 177 | 1992 |
| 10 | Gianluigi Buffon | Italy | 176 | 1997 |
