Surpassing the milestone, Cristiano Ronaldo has matched the record for most capped men’s international players after his 196th appearance for the Portuguese national team in the match against Morocco.
Ronaldo now shares this record with Kuwait forward Badr Al-Mutawa.
Despite this achievement, Portugal suffered a 1-0 defeat to Morocco, leading to their elimination from the semi-finals stage.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner began the game against Morocco from the bench, as Goncalo Ramos, his replacement, scored a hat-trick in the previous 6-1 victory over Switzerland in the last-16.
By reaching his 196th international cap, Ronaldo has drawn level with Al-Mutawa, who had been the outright record holder since June.
Al-Mutawa attained his 196th cap during Kuwait’s 3-0 loss to Jordan in the 2023 Asian Cup qualification.
In 2021, Al-Mutawa briefly held the title until FIFA officially recognized Malaysia’s Soh Chin Ann’s total at 195, but he later secured his position as the most capped men’s international player with 10 additional appearances, as validated by FIFA.
The 37-year-old forward, with 56 goals for his country, currently plays for Qadsia SC in the Kuwait Premier League.
Last September, Ronaldo surpassed Ali Daei’s record for the most international goals by a men’s player, when he scored two goals against the Republic of Ireland, bringing his total to 111.