“It would be spectacular to crown my 200th international game with a goal. I’m not chasing records, they’re chasing me“ said Cristiano Ronaldo before the game with Iceland. The Portuguese forward started the EURO 2024 qualifying match in Iceland as the first player ever to reach 200 games for a national team and ended it perfectly, scoring the winner in the 89th minute. Portugal were huge favourites against minors Iceland, but the home team was tough to break, and only when they were left with 10 men in the 81st minute, they finally broke down. Ronaldo managed to score from two meters, but his goal was initially nullified due to offside. After a lengthy VAR check, the former Manchester United forward was assigned his 123rd goal in a Portugal shirt, and with this win, Ronaldo and his teammates are at the top of Group J with all four wins.Maybe his season was not so good in Italian football, but in the Belgium squad, Romelu Lukaku is the best. In three qualifying matches so far, Belgium has scored six goals, and all of them were the works of a Chelsea forward. His brace in tonight’s 0-3 win over Estonia helped Belgium to reach second place in Group F, with a game less than first-placed Austria. New manager Domenico Tedesco decided to refresh the squad for these qualifiers. Eden Hazard, Toby Alderweireld and Axel Witsel have all retired, while Kevin De Bruyne remained but was injured, and the likes of Thomas Meunier and Dries Mertens were left out of this squad. Pre-match hype was all about Thibaut Courtois and his clash with the manager over his captaincy role, and the Real Madrid keeper was out of the game, he claimed, due to an injury. But it was Lukaku who finished this match with two quick goals between the 37th and 40th minute, after which Bakayoko scored the third one in injury time.Cristiano Ronaldo is awarded the Guinness World Record for the most international caps by a men’s player (200) 👏 pic.twitter.com/nh4581ECCU— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 20, 2023 Another European striker also had a good night, as Norway’s Erling Haaland scored two goals in his team’s 3-1 win in Cyprus. After losing at home to Scotland in the last round, Haaland, Odegaard and co. needed a win at all costs, and they got it after goals from Manchester City forward. The first goal of the game was a work by Roma’s Ola Solbakken, but then Haaland took over and scored one from the penalty spot and one from open play for the final 3-1.EURO 2024 – QUALIFIERSTuesday Austria – Sweden 2-0 (0-0)/Baumgartner 81, 89/Scotland – Georgia – interruptedHungary – Lithuania 2-0 (1-0)/Varga 32, Sallai 83/Estonia – Belgium 0-3 (0-2)/Lukaku 37, 40, Bakayoko 90/Bulgaria – Serbia 1-1 (0-0)/Despodov 47 – Lazovic 90+6/Moldova – Poland 3-2 (0-2)/Nicolalescu 48, 79, Babohlo 85 – Milik 12, Lewandowski 34/B&H – Luxembourg 0-2 (0-1)/Sanches 4, Hadziahmetovic 54(og)/Norway – Cyprus 3-1 (1-0)/Solbakken 12, Haaland 56(p), 60 – Kastanos 90/Iceland – Portugal 0-1 (0-0)/Ronaldo 89/Faroe I. – Albania 1-3 (1-1)/Faero 45+1 – Bajrami 20, Asllani 51, Muci 90+1/Liechtenstein – Slovakia 0-1 (0-1)/Vavro 45+1/
