Cristiano Ronaldo will have appeared in 197 games if Portugal plays on Thursday, giving him the record for most appearances by any national team in history.
The Portuguese skipper played 196 international matches for his side during the most recent World Cup, a record that has never been surpassed in any country’s history.
He and Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait, who played his final match on June 14, 2022, both have 196 matches, according to Marca.
If Roberto Martinez starts Ronaldo against Liechtenstein, it will be his 197th international match.
Although it is unknown whether he will start or play in the second half, everything seems to point to him doing so, Marca noted.
Al Mutawa (196), Soh Chin An (Malaysia 195), Sergio Ramos (Spain 180), and Gigi Buffon are among the top 10. (Italy, 176).
Ronaldo made his debut on August 20, 2003, and, as of right now, his final game was played in Qatar on December 10, 2022. Given that his goal is to at least make it to the Germany-hosted Euro 2024, Marca wrote that he can likely play more than 200 games.
