Cristiano Ronaldo will have his eyes set on another record when he steps on the field for Portugal during the upcoming set of international games. The 2016 European Champions will kick off their World Cup 2022 Qualifying campaign against lower-ranked Azerbaijan on March 24, 2021 (Wednesday) and are drawn in Group A of the European Qualifiers. Portugal vs Azerbaijan, FIFA World Cup 2022 European Qualifiers Live Streaming.

The Portugal national team captain is one of the greatest goal-scorers of his generation and has his eyes set on Ali Daei’s goal-scoring record, which he will be aiming to surpass during the upcoming international break. Portugal face Azerbaijan, Serbia and Luxembourg in their next three qualifying games, against whom the 36-year-old has scored a total of eight goals.

How Many Goals Cristiano Ronaldo Needs To Break Ali Daei’s Record?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Ali Daei are the only two footballers in international football to score 100+ goals for their national team. The former footballer leads the international goal-scoring chart with 109 goals in 149 appearances for Iran, a feat he achieved from the late 90s to early 2000s.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is closing in on the Iran legends tally but is still a fair number behind. The Juventus stalwart has managed 102 goals for Portugal in 170 appearances for the Os Navegadores and is seven strikes behind Ali Daei’s world record.

Player Nation Appearances Goals
Ali Daei Iran 149 109
Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 170 102

Whether Cristiano Ronaldo gets close to Ali Daei’s record remains to be seen but given his record against the upcoming opponents, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will surely back himself to surpass the legendary Iranian footballer.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 24, 2021 09:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).