Cristiano Ronaldo thanked Bader Almotawaa after the Kuwait international graciously accepted being passed as the most-capped men's player.
The former Manchester United man won cap 197 for Portugal against Liechtenstein on Thursday, marking the occasion with his 119 and 120th goals for his country during the European Championship qualifier. Scoring the first from the penalty spot also meant Ronaldo has struck in 20 consecutive years since opening his international account against Greece at Euro 2004.
Ronaldo spoke of his pride at breaking the record in the immediate aftermath of the match. Now he has followed that up with a classy response to a message from Almotawaa.
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"I'm very honoured to have represented my country in 196 international matches, and I'm grateful for the privilege of becoming the most-capped men's player," the Kuwaiti player said on social media. "I'm glad that the record will now be passed on to Cristiano Ronaldo. You are truly a legend and an idol to every football player, I wish you the best of luck and many more amazing achievements."
Ronaldo replied on Twitter: "Thank you for your kind words! It’s an honour to become the most capped men's player. All the best for you too."
Portugal play their second match of the international fortnight on Sunday versus Luxembourg aiming for a successive victory.
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