Football: Cristiano Ronaldo equals Ali Daei's record with his 109th international goal

Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday equalised former Iranian striker Ali Daei’s all-time international goal-scoring record as the Portuguese maestro scored his 109th goal for Portugal in Euro 2020 match against France.

The Portuguese forward, also the leading goal-scorer in Euro history, netted a brace from the penalty spot to help his side reach the knockouts of the tournament while also matching the iconic record in his 178th international match.

The 36-year-old is also the first to appear at five editions of the Euro and has already netted five goals in three Group F matches. While Portugal, Germany and France qualified from the ‘group of death’, Hungary missed out on qualification despite a gutsy fight.

The Juventus forward has now 14 European Championship goals, five more than French legend Michel Platini.

Ronaldo bagged his first international goal in Euro 2004 and has since risen as one of the all-time greats if not the greatest footballer.

Daei, nicknamed the 'Shariar' (King in Persian), scored a remarkable 109 goals in 149 appearances for Iran between 1993 and 2006, an achievement many thought would never be matched.

Daei has said on several occasions that he would be "delighted" if Ronaldo broke his record, as he believes the Juventus striker ranks among the best three players in history, alongside Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.

"Congratulations to @cristiano who is now one goal away from breaking the men's international goal scoring record," Daei posted on Instagram.

"I am honoured that this remarkable achievement will belong to Ronaldo - great champion of football and caring humanist who inspires and impacts lives throughout the world."