Manchester City superstar congratulates Cristiano Ronaldo for reaching 200 Portugal appearances

Manchester City defender Ruben Dias has congratulated compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo for making his 200th appearance for the Portugal national team. Ronaldo became the first men's footballer to make 200 international appearances and also saw his name registered in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Portugal's EURO 2024 qualifiers encounter against Iceland on Tuesday, June 20, marked the Portuguese icon's 200th international appearance. He celebrated the occasion by scoring the only goal of the match in a 1-0 win for his side.

After the match, Dias took to Instagram to send Ronaldo a congratulatory post. He captioned it:

"End up on a win. Many congratulations, Cristiano!"

Dias also had his say on Ronaldo's 200 caps achievement after the match. He told the media (via ABola):

“It was a special day for him and for all of us. Reaching 200 caps is not by chance and it doesn't happen to a normal person. Very happy for him and also for celebrating that milestone with a goal. It is a pride to still enjoy these small moments with Cristiano. He marked the history of the country and football."

In 200 appearances for Portugal, the Al Nassr forward has scored 123 goals, the most for a men's footballer.

Ruben Dias won historic treble with Manchester City as Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia in the 2022/23 season

The two national teammates, Dias and Ronaldo, had largely contrasting 2022/23 seasons. The duo started the season in Manchester, but the forward had to leave England after his Manchester United contract was terminated by mutual consent.

Ronaldo went on to join Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr but failed to win any silverware in his first season in the country. He scored 14 goals in 19 appearances for the club last season.

Dias, on the other hand, was a rock at the back for City as they went on to win the European treble. The club became only the second English team to achieve the feat after the Red Devils in the process.

The defender made 43 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side across competitions in the recently concluded season.