Zuko Komisa

- Cristiano Ronaldo became the first male footballer to score in six different World Cup tournaments during Portugal’s 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan.
- The 41-year-old silenced calls for his benching by netting a clinical first-half brace at the NRG Stadium on Tuesday.
- Ronaldo’s double not only secured a vital win but also established a new Portuguese record of 10 career World Cup goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo silenced his critics in spectacular fashion on Tuesday, rewriting the football history books during Portugal’s commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan at the NRG Stadium.
By finding the back of the net, Ronaldo became the first male player in history to score in six separate World Cup tournaments. He quickly added a second before half-time to secure a clinical brace, his first goals of the 2026 tournament.
The double also saw him overtake Portugal’s all-time record, taking his personal World Cup tally to 10 goals.
Further strikes from Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leão, alongside an own goal by Abduvahid Nematov, completed the emphatic rout.
Following a disappointing 1-1 draw with DR Congo, intense media speculation had suggested manager Roberto Martínez should bench the veteran forward.
However, those doubts were swiftly erased when the 41-year-old opened the scoring in just the sixth minute.
The record-breaking performance, which made Ronaldo the oldest player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match, earned him the Man of the Match award.
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