Cristiano Ronaldo and Alberto Tarantini with the FIFA World Cup trophy between them (©Getty images sport)
Cristiano Ronaldo and Alberto Tarantini with the FIFA World Cup trophy between them (©Getty images sport)

Only two 'unemployed' men have ever scored at the biggest stage of all

Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 25.11.22. | 17:47

And the first one who did it in 1978, Alberto Tarantini, won the tournament with Argentina

Cristiano Ronaldo became only the second player to score a WorldCup goal as a free agent.

Manchester United mutually terminated his contract recently, leaving the Portuguese star a free agent ahead of the Qatar tournament.

The 37-year-old netted on Thursday night in the maiden Group H encounter against Ghana from the spot and thus joined former Argentine star Alberto Tarantini on this extremely short list of the players that netted at the World Cup whole being unattached to any club.

A few months before the 1978 World Cup, Argentine defender Alberto Tarantini had a contractual dispute with Boca Juniors that left him without a club. Argentina went on to win the tournament with Tarantini in the squad, scoring one of the team's six goals against Peru in more than the controversial do-or-die game (they had to win with at least a four-goal margin to reach the final). He still remains the only player to have ever lifted the Jules Rimet trophy while unattached.

But maybe, Cristiano is about to join him in that record, too. What do you reckon?



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PortugalCristiano RonaldoArgentinaFIFA 2022 Qatar World CupAlberto Tarantini

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