Cristiano Ronaldo has added yet another record to his collection by becoming the leading goalscorer in Club World Cup history, thanks to his equalising strike in Wednesday's 2-1 semifinal victory over Al Jazira.

Ronaldo had at least six early chances to open the scoring in the game in Abu Dhabi, but was repeatedly denied by Al Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khaseif, with the locals then taking a barely unbelievable lead when Romarinho netted five minutes before half-time.

The Portugal captain got the competition favourites back level in the game five minutes after half-time, when he took advantage of a slip in the hosts' defence and clinically shot across subsitute keeper Khaled Al Senaani.

The goals mean Ronaldo, 32, has now scored six times in six CWC games, moving ahead of Barcelona's Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, and ex-Monterrey forward Cesar Delgado, who all had found the net five times in the competition.

Ronaldo's first goal came back in 2008 for Manchester United in a 5-3 semifinal victory against Gamba Osaka. The other four came last year, with one in the semifinal win against Club America, then the hat trick in the final just as it seemed Madrid were set for embarrassment against hosts Kashima Antlers.

If the competition's previous incarnation as the Intercontinental Cup is included, the all-time scoring record is still held by Pele -- who scored seven goals in three matches for Santos in 1962 and 1963. Ecuadorian striker Alberto Spencer, who played for Uruguayan club Penarol, notched six times in the competition between 1960 and 1966.

Earlier this month, Ronaldo became the first player ever to score in all six games during the group stage of the Champions League. That particular strike at home to Borussia Dortmund also took him to 114 career goals in 146 Champions League games -- another of his personal records, and came just 24 hours before he matched Messi by picking up a joint record fifth Ballon D'Or award.

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by Dermot Corrigan

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