‘I’m back’, says Ronaldo as Portugal run riot against Uzbekistan
Ronaldo Makes World Cup History as Portugal Thrash Uzbekistan 5-0
Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a record-breaking performance on Tuesday, scoring twice as Portugal cruised to a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in Houston, moving to the brink of qualification for the knockout stage of the World Cup.
The Portuguese captain became the first footballer to score in six different World Cup tournaments, surpassing the achievement of Argentina star Lionel Messi. Ronaldo opened the scoring just six minutes into the match, continuing a remarkable World Cup journey that began in 2006.
The 41-year-old celebrated his historic goal with his trademark “Siu” celebration before adding a second goal shortly before halftime. His brace increased his World Cup tally to 10 goals, making him Portugal’s highest scorer in the tournament’s history, ahead of legendary striker Eusebio.
Speaking after the match, Ronaldo acknowledged the criticism he faced following a difficult period.
“It’s always special to break records, but my main objective is to help Portugal achieve success,” he said.
Reflecting on recent challenges, he added: “It was a tough week, a dark week. Many people acted as though my career was over. But I remained focused and trusted in hard work. It wasn’t easy, but we’ve responded strongly.”
Ronaldo entered the contest with a record 143 international goals but had struggled in Portugal’s opening 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he failed to convert his chances. Those missed opportunities prompted calls for coach Roberto Martinez to leave him out of the starting lineup.
However, Martinez maintained his faith in the veteran forward, who received a warm reception from supporters at Houston Stadium before kickoff.
Ronaldo nearly found the net in the third minute before eventually breaking the deadlock by firing home a cross from Joao Cancelo. Portugal doubled their advantage in the 17th minute through Nuno Mendes, whose well-taken free-kick left the Uzbek defence helpless.
Uzbekistan briefly thought they had reduced the deficit when Azizjon Ganiev scored from long range, but the effort was ruled out following a VAR review.
Ronaldo struck again six minutes before halftime, calmly finishing past goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov to make it 3-0. He came close to completing a hat-trick later in the match, but Nematov denied him with a crucial save.
Portugal’s fourth goal arrived from a corner, with pressure from Ronaldo contributing to an own goal by the Uzbek goalkeeper. Substitute Rafael Leao rounded off the scoring in the 87th minute with a powerful finish.
Before facing Uzbekistan, Ronaldo had endured a barren run in major tournaments, registering no goals and only one assist in his previous 10 appearances at World Cups and European Championships. Nevertheless, he entered the tournament in strong form after scoring 28 goals in 30 league matches for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
Portugal will conclude their group-stage campaign against Colombia on Saturday. Colombia, who defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 in their opening match, can secure a place in the knockout rounds with a victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo later on Tuesday.