Ronaldo netted with a neat volley from inside the area then added two other goals to surpass the Brazil great and move into second place on the list of Europe's all-time scorers with 78 goals. He's six behind Hungary great Ferenc Puskas.
Pele scored 77 goals for Brazil.
Switzerland stayed perfect in qualifying by defeating Andorra 3-0 in a match interrupted by poor pitch conditions under heavy rain in St. Gallen.
Hungary stayed a distant third with 10 points after defeating last-placed Latvia 3-1 at home.
Ronaldo scored twice in the first half and once after the break to reach 14 goals in seven Group B matches.
The Real Madrid striker opened the scoring with a side- volley by the far post. He added his second by converting a penalty kick, and the third came after a neat fake shot that fooled a defender and left him open in front of the goal.
Switzerland overcame poor pitch conditions in St. Gallen to defeat Andorra for its seventh straight victory in Group B. The match was interrupted in each half as workers came on the field to clear standing water.
Haris Seferovic scored just before halftime and again after the break, and Stephan Lichtsteiner added the final goal for the 3-0 victory.
Hungary kept pace with Switzerland and Portugal thanks to a routine 3-1 win over last-placed Latvia.
Tamas Kadar and Adam Szalai scored for Hungary in the first half and Balazs Dzsudzsak added the third following the break after Gints Freimanis had pulled Latvia closer before halftime.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
