There were questions, questions, and more questions as Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal braced themselves to take on FIFA World Cup debutantes, Uzbekistan. As Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland racked up the goals, pundits and fans felt like it was Ronaldo’s turn to show up.
And show up he did, as Portugal took the fight to Uzbekistan, a team ranked 45 places below them in the latest FIFA world rankings.
Cristiano Ronaldo Wastes No Time Making FIFA World Cup History
The lights were bright as Portugal took to the field in Houston, Texas, looking for their first win at the 2026 World Cup. After a 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, questions were being asked of Ronaldo and if, at 41 years old, he was up to the challenge of spearheading Portugal’s attack.
It took all of six minutes for Ronaldo to prove his doubters wrong, as he got on the scoresheet with a scintillating finish to put his side ahead. Of course, he had to add another to his tally, this time off an assist from Bruno Fernandes as Portugal raced ahead to put Uzbekistan to the sword.
On the back of that opening goal, Ronaldo made sure he made history, becoming the first-ever player to score in six World Cups. That accolade reached far and wide as the Guinness Book of World Records also acknowledged the stunning feat.
Most FIFA World Cups scored in by a player – 6 by Cristiano Ronaldo
Suiiiiii 🐐
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) June 23, 2026
Ronaldo’s second goal took his World Cup tally to 10, trumping national team legend Eusebio’s record of nine (Eusebio, of course, played in just one World Cup). There were more than a few doubters ahead of kickoff, but Ronaldo’s supporters were quick to rejoice as he delivered a show to his faithful.
SIMULATE THE WORLD CUP: PFN’s FREE FIFA World Cup Simulator
Even NFL legend Tom Brady was glued to the game, asking:
Best World Cup ever????
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) June 23, 2026
Ronaldo came agonizingly close to racking up a hat-trick off a Bruno Fernandes free kick in the 60th minute before colliding with the Uzbek goalie. He came *even* closer to that elusive hat-trick in the very last minute of action before pulling his shot wide in stoppage time.
Ronaldo was MOVING to bag his brace 🔥 pic.twitter.com/X1nPocCuiL
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 23, 2026
With this win, Portugal go top of their group on points, until Colombia take on DR Congo in Guadalajara later tonight. The 5-0 win gives Ronaldo’s side a healthy goal difference ahead of an all-important showdown against Colombia this weekend in Miami.
