Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name even deeper into football history on Tuesday, becoming the first player ever to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments as Portugal cruised to a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan.
The 41-year-old captain delivered a vintage performance, scoring twice to lead Portugal to their first win of the tournament and silence critics who questioned his form following a 1-1 draw against Congo in their opening match. Ronaldo opened the scoring in the sixth minute, finishing confidently from a João Cancelo cross before celebrating with teammates on the touchline.
He struck again in the 39th minute when he latched onto a pass from Bruno Fernandes and fired a right-footed effort inside the near post to make it 3-0. The two goals earned Ronaldo the Man of the Match award and added another remarkable milestone to a career already packed with records.
With the brace, Ronaldo became the only player to score in six separate World Cup editions, having previously found the net in the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Earlier this year, he and Lionel Messi became the first male footballers to feature in six World Cups, but Ronaldo now stands alone in scoring in every tournament appearance after Messi failed to score during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The Portuguese icon’s latest goals also took his World Cup tally to 10, surpassing Portuguese legend Eusébio as Portugal’s all-time leading scorer at the tournament. Ronaldo’s international goals record also stretched to an astonishing 145 goals for his country, further extending a mark that already ranks as the highest in men’s international football history.
His achievement places him among the oldest goalscorers in World Cup history. Only Roger Milla, who scored at the age of 42 during the 1994 tournament in the United States, remains older than Ronaldo when finding the net on football’s biggest stage.
The landmark performance comes at a time when Ronaldo’s future at international level remains a topic of discussion. Widely expected to be competing in his final World Cup, the veteran forward has once again demonstrated his enduring quality and ability to deliver on the grandest occasions.
