Cristiano Ronaldo arrived late to the scoring party at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. By the time he left the field in Houston on Tuesday night, he had rewritten another piece of football history.
The 41-year-old striker scored twice as Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0, ending a week of criticism that followed a disappointing 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the team’s opening Group K match. The result moved Portugal to four points and restored confidence around a squad that had come under scrutiny after failing to beat one of the tournament’s outsiders.
Ronaldo’s first goal settled early nerves and his second turned the match into a statement. More importantly, the goals made him the first player in football history to score in six different FIFA World Cups, a record that separates him from every other player to appear on the game’s biggest stage.
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Portugal dominated from the opening whistle, creating 17 attempts on goal and overwhelming an Uzbekistan side making its first appearance at World Cup finals. The scoreline reflected the gap between the teams. Uzbekistan struggled to contain Portugal’s movement in attack and repeatedly left space around the penalty area, something Ronaldo exploited with ruthless efficiency.
The performance came after several days of debate about Ronaldo’s role in the national team. Portuguese media and supporters questioned whether the veteran forward should remain a starter after the draw against DR Congo. Head coach Roberto Martinez resisted those calls and backed his captain publicly.
“I believe both players have improved football over the years, and their rivalry is important for themselves to grow“, Martinez said while discussing Ronaldo and long-time rival Lionel Messi.
Martinez went further, describing Ronaldo as “an icon and a role model in the national team” and praised his influence both on and off the pitch.
The match also carried significance beyond the result. Before facing Uzbekistan, Ronaldo had gone through one of the longest goal droughts of his major tournament career. His double ended that run and pushed him past Portuguese legend Eusebio as Portugal’s leading scorer in World Cup history.
Ronaldo appeared to shout “I’m back!” toward television cameras after scoring, a brief celebration that captured the mood surrounding his performance. Days earlier, questions about his age, form and place in the starting lineup had dominated discussion around the Portuguese camp.
Even Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro, who won the World Cup with Italy in 2006 during Ronaldo’s first appearance at the tournament, acknowledged the challenge of stopping him.
“When you play against Ronaldo, you cannot leave anything for him. If you give him even one centimetre, he will score“, Cannavaro said after the match.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino also congratulated Ronaldo on what he called an “incredible achievement“.
Portugal now turns its attention to a decisive group-stage clash against Colombia. The tougher test is still ahead. Yet after one difficult week and a flood of criticism, Ronaldo ensured that the conversation around Portugal once again starts with him.
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