FARO, Portugal (Dispatches) - When Manchester City loanee Gavin Bazunu saved Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-half penalty to deny the Manchester United forward a record 110th international goal for Portugal, the headlines wrote themselves.
Ronaldo’s 89-minute strike in Portugal’s World Cup qualifying match on Wednesday night means he now has 111 goals in 180 appearances for his country, breaking Ali Daei’s record of 109 goals for Iran.
Ireland looked to be holding on for a famous World Cup qualifying victory in Portugal, but, as he so often does, the 36-year-old Ronaldo had the last word with two late goals to break Irish hearts - and the world record.