Venezuelan icon Salomon Rondon reaches 50 international goals

Salomon Rondon was regarded by many players and colleagues as a tough matchup and physical player to go up against. Although his prime has passed, and he was never able to qualify for a World Cup with Venezuela, he was able to knock off a big milestone in his already legendary career. 

Rondon scored his 50th international goal in the opening round of the 2026 FIFA Series

Venezuela faced off against Trinidad and Tobago in their first match of the 2026 FIFA Series. Venezuela were down 1-0 early in the second half, but they then scored four unanswered goals to roll past the Caribbean side. Rondon scored a brace to seal the win, and in the process scored his 50th international goal for La Vinotinto, the first and only player to reach that mark for the South American team.

Surely, he would have preferred to score that goal in a more significant match. Venezuela failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff on the last day of South American qualifying matches when Bolivia beat Brazil in a shocking upset to reach the 7th spot in the table. 

Now, Venezuela is entering a new era, and although Rondon’s participation in what’s next is uncertain, he was able to secure one more personal victory with the national team. 

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