Two late goals in Portugal’s win leaves their star on 106, three short of the record, and he will fight to keep the trophy, too
He celebrated like it was his first goal for Portugal rather than his 105th. That undampened, naked desire is what keeps Cristiano Ronaldo going and makes him continually relevant. His emphatically finished penalty polished off doubt where there had been plenty. His smoothly finished second, leaving him just three short of Ali Daei’s international goal record, re‑emphasised his ruthlessness. Hungary didn’t deserve this, but Ronaldo happens.
It marked another to his litany of records, playing and scoring in a fifth European Championship, and it will mean something to him – but it’s not the record he is really after. Daei’s high-water mark is the one he wants, along with another European title. Once, his breaking of that biggest of records in this tournament would have been treated as an inevitability. Now many doubt it, despite four goals in his last five Serie A games for Juventus, helping the outgoing champions to scrape a Champions League place.
Related: Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic double helps Portugal sink stubborn Hungary
11 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
9 Michel Platini (France)
7 Alan Shearer (England)