The 41-year-old icon silences critics in Houston, becoming the first player in football history to score in six separate FIFA World Cups while surpassing the legendary Eusébio.
DUBAI: Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo orchestrated a masterclass of historic proportions at the Houston Stadium, scoring a clinical brace to guide Roberto Martínez’s side to an emphatic 5-0 victory over tournament debutants Uzbekistan. Following a disappointing 1-1 opening draw against DR Congo, the Seleção roared back to life in Group K, anchored by their legendary number 7 who rewrote the record books under the Texas sky.
The voice of skepticism surrounding the 41-year-old’s spot in Portugal’s modern golden generation was swiftly silenced just six minutes into the match. Meeting a precise low cross from Barcelona fullback João Cancelo, Ronaldo peeled away from his marker to deliver an instinctive near-post flick past Uzbek goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov. The goal marked an unprecedented milestone, cementing Ronaldo as the first male player to score in six different FIFA World Cups.
Portugal doubled their cushion in the 17th minute through a beautifully designed set-piece sequence. Standing in his trademark stance over a free-kick, Ronaldo acted as a clever decoy, running over the ball to freeze the wall. Behind him, Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes unleashed a curling, left-footed strike into the bottom corner. Uzbekistan briefly thought they pulled one back via a stunning long-range strike from Azizjon Ganiev, but a lengthy VAR review accurately overturned the goal for an prior foul on Cancelo.
Punishing the debutants, Ronaldo capitalized on a brilliant Bruno Fernandes through-ball in the 39th minute, calmly slotting his second of the night into the far corner. The strike brought his total World Cup tally to 10 goals, officially breaking Eusébio’s 60-year-old record to make Ronaldo Portugal’s all-time top scorer at the global finals. An unfortunate own goal from a corner on the hour mark and a late 87th-minute strike by substitute Rafael Leão rounded off the 5-0 rout.
At 41 years and 138 days old, Cristiano Ronaldo has also become the second-oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, sitting only behind Cameroon legend Roger Milla, who scored at the age of 42 during the 1994 tournament. Portugal now commands Group K with four points from two matches, firmly steering their ship toward the Round of 32, while Fabio Cannavaro’s ambitious Uzbekistan side faces mathematical elimination.
