Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan in Group K at Houston Stadium came after a draw against DR Congo. Cristiano Ronaldo silenced the critics with two goals against Uzbekistan on Tuesday, and the Portuguese star became the first player to score in six World Cups.
Ronaldo took his World Cup goal tally to 10 after scoring against a weak Uzbekistan, overtaking Eusébio as Portugal’s all-time leading scorer at the global finals.
According to Reuters, the 41-year-old star shouted at the television cameras at the end of the match, “I’m back, I’m back.” Ronaldo proved wrong those critics who questioned his place in the team after a goal-scoring drought in important matches.
Ronaldo faced even more criticism when his team drew 1-1 with a weak opponent, the DR Congo, and he failed to score. However, Ronaldo won the hearts of the fans again after playing a key role in Portugal’s victory over Uzbekistan. However, Ronaldo’s goal filled the remaining excitement in the 2026 World Cup.
Ronaldo’s rival, Lionel Messi, scored twice in the second group stage match against Austria, breaking Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals to become the highest scorer in World Cup history.
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“The team performed really well and improved a lot,” Ronaldo, the second-oldest player at the 2026 World Cup, said at the end of the match. “As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Obviously, speaking personally, records are always nice, but my goal is always to help the national team achieve its objectives.”
In addition to Ronaldo’s two goals, Nuno Mendes scored Portugal’s second goal from a superb free kick, and Rafael Leão added a fifth late in the match. Portugal’s fourth goal came when Uzbek goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov unfortunately put a fumbled ball into their net.