Ivan Perisic Creates History, Becomes First Player To...

Last Updated:July 03, 2026, 06:27 IST

The goal against Portugal on Thursday has made Perisic the first Croatian player to score in four different FIFA World Cup editions.

Ivan Perisic entered his name in the history books on Friday by becoming Croatia’s all-time leading goal-scorer in FIFA World Cup history. The 37-year-old former Bayern Munich star, who is also Croatia’s second-most capped player in FIFA World Cup history, opened the scoring in the 53rd minute of Croatia’s Round of 32 clash against Portugal at BMO Field in Toronto.

Perisic’s strike against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal was his seventh FIFA World Cup goal for Croatia, taking him past Davor Šuker to become his country’s highest goalscorer in the tournament’s history.

Šuker represented Croatia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and scored six goals. Perisic, meanwhile, is featuring in his fourth FIFA World Cup in 2026 and has now taken his tally to seven goals.

Most goals for Croatia in FIFA World Cup

The goal also made Perisic the first Croatian player to score in four different FIFA World Cup editions. He scored twice in 2014, three times in 2018, once at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and has now found the net in the ongoing 2026 edition.

Ivan Perisic in FIFA World Cup for Croatia

The record for scoring in the most different FIFA World Cup editions is held by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portugal captain, who is playing in his sixth FIFA World Cup in 2026, has scored at least one goal in each of the six editions. Argentina’s Lionel Messi is second, having scored in five different World Cup editions.

Perisic, who is 37 years and 150 days old on Friday (Thursday local time), also became the fourth-oldest player to score in a FIFA World Cup knockout match.

The record for the oldest goal-scorer in a FIFA World Cup knockout match is now held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored for Portugal against Croatia in the same Round of 32 match at the age of 41 years and 147 days, surpassing the previous record held by his former teammate Pepe.

Oldest goal scorers in FIFA World Cup knockout matches

Pepe was 39 years and 283 days old when he scored for Portugal in the FIFA World Cup 2022 Round of 16 match against Switzerland.

About the Author

Harshit BishtSenior Sub-editor

Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist at CNN-News18, where he has been covering cricket, football, and major sporting events from around the world since July 1, 2024. Driven by a passion for storytelli...Read More

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