Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name deeper into football history after becoming the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cups, helping Portugal secure a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their Group K clash.
The 41-year-old forward struck twice in Houston to lead Portugal to their first win of the tournament and move the 2016 European champions to the top of Group K with four points from two matches.
Ronaldo opened the scoring after just six minutes, finishing from close range following a cross from Joao Cancelo. He added his second goal before half-time with a composed finish into the corner, taking his overall World Cup tally to 10 goals.
The brace saw Ronaldo overtake Portugal legend Eusébio, who scored nine World Cup goals, to become the country’s leading scorer in the tournament’s history. He also moved clear of Lionel Messi in another landmark achievement, becoming the only player to score in six separate editions of the World Cup.
At 41 years and 138 days old, Ronaldo is now the second-oldest player ever to score at a World Cup, behind only Cameroon icon Roger Milla, who was 42 years and 39 days old when he scored at the 1994 tournament.
Nuno Mendes added Portugal’s second goal, while an own goal by Uzbekistan goalkeeper Utkir Nematov and a late strike from Rafael Leao completed the rout.
Ronaldo’s World Cup scoring record now stands at 10 goals across six tournaments, having found the net in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026.
Speaking after the match, Ronaldo said: “I’m very happy. But for me, the most important thing is our work and the confidence we showed. The team performed really well and improved a lot. 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.”
The result leaves Portugal well placed to qualify for the knockout stage, while World Cup debutants Uzbekistan remain without a point after two matches.
