"I can't ask for more, it was spectacular" - Cristiano Ronaldo overjoyed after scoring late winner in landmark 200th cap for Portugal 

Cristiano Ronaldo was understandably elated after scoring the winner in his record 200th international appearance for Portugal against Iceland on Tuesday (June 20).

The Portuguese icon became the first male player to reach 200 international appearances when he started against Iceland in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier. It was a tight game with Portugal dominating possession and chances but failing to score.

However, their talismanic captain stepped up in the 89th minute to score the winner. Cristiano Ronaldo got on the end of a layoff from Goncalo Inacio in the box and scored past Runar Alex Runarsson.

The Al-Nassr forward was delighted as he marked the special occasion with a goal.

"Triumph with a special flavour. Not only for the day it was, for the homage, for the 200th game ... To top it off with a goal, I can't ask for more.

"It was spectacular, unforgettable, for everything it generated around the game. I have to thank the Icelanders, to the federation, for the surprise. And to Guinness!," Ronaldo told Record Portugal.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who's the all-time top scorer in international men's football, extended his tally to 123 goals in 200 games for Portugal.

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Cristiano Ronaldo admits Portugal weren't at their best against Iceland

Portugal came into the game against Iceland off a convincing 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. They were expected to see out another comfortable victory, but that was far from the case.

The Cristiano Ronaldo-led side had 71% possession and had 11 attempts on goal, with Iceland having seven, but failed to create many clear-cut chances. They were also caught offside six times in good positions.

The game looked set to go into a stalemate before Ronaldo's winner in the 89th minute. The former Real Madrid forward admitted that Portugal weren't at their best on the night but lauded his teammates for their fighting spirit.

"The performance wasn't good, but we can't always play the way we want. Iceland didn't let us. They played low, direct, hit hard. ... It's difficult, but as the manager said now, qualifications are won here in these games. We can't always play well," Cristiano Ronaldo said.

He added:

"Today was in the fight, in the war, in the suffering. I want to emphasise the fight, because we fought until the end, all of us, from beginning to end. Congratulations to everyone; it was a fighting game," he added.

Portugal sit atop their group in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier, having won all four games.