Cristiano Ronaldo Becomes Oldest FIFA World Cup Knockout Goalscorer as Portugal Beat Croatia

Cristiano Ronaldo broke another record s he became the oldest player ever to score in a men’s FIFA World Cup knockout match after he scored penalty against the Croatia in Round of 32 encounter. In the knock out feature, Portugal won the match by 2-1 and entered into the Round of 16 and will plat against the 2010 Champion Spain. At the 41 years and 147 days Ronaldo converted a penalty and equalize the score and helped Portugal to enter in the next round.

Ronaldo Creates FIFA World Cup History

Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest player to score in a FIFA World Cup knockout-stage match after he converted the penalty against Croatia .

With this he surpassed the previous benchmark held by Lionel Messi and add another achievement to his career.

This goal has also made the Ronaldo the second-oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history overall.

He is only behind the Cameroon’s legendary striker Roger Milla, who have scored the goal at the age of 42 years and 39 days during the 1994 FIFA World Cup and he remains ahead of the Portuguese captain.

Portugal Overcomes Croatia in a Tense Encounter

Portugal secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Croatia in a closely contested Round of 32 clash. Ronaldo’s successful penalty in the second half proved decisive as Portugal advanced to the Round of 16.

Croatia mounted a late comeback and even found the back of the net during the closing stages of the match. However, the goal was ruled out, allowing Portugal to hold on to their narrow lead and book their place in the next round.

The victory keeps Portugal’s hopes alive of winning another major international title, with Ronaldo continuing to play a central leadership role in the squad.

Ronaldo’s First World Cup Knockout Goal

Despite playing in multiple FIFA World Cups since 2006, Cristiano has never scored during the knockout rounds of the tournament until this match against Croatia.

This milestone adds another milestone to Ronaldo’s extensive international career. As he already holds the records for the most international goals and appearances in men’s football.

Another Appearance Record

The appearance against Croatia was Ronaldo’s 26th FIFA World Cup match

He is just one match behind the Germany legend Lothar Matthäus who has played 27 World Cup matches.

Current Argentina captain Lionel Messi tops the all time list with 29 FIFA World Cup appearances.

Oldest Outfield Player to Start a World Cup Knockout Match

Even before the kickoff, Ronaldo had already entered into the record books.

At the 41 years and 147 days, he became the oldest outfield player ever to start in a men’s FIFA World Cup knockout match.

This record had been held by the Bosnia and Herzegovina captain Edin Džeko who started against the United States at the age of the 40 years and 106 days.

Croatia captain Luka Modrić who aged 40 years and 296 days, also featured in the starting lineup and making this the first men’s FIFA World Cup match to feature two opposing outfield players over the age of 40.

• Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal vs Croatia) – 41 years, 147 days
• Luka Modrić (Croatia vs Portugal) – 40 years, 296 days
• Edin Džeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina vs USA) – 40 years, 106 days