Cristiano Ronaldo fired back with a brace in Portugal's dominant 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan on Tuesday at the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, a statement performance after a rocky start to the tournament and another big night from Lionel Messi.
Portugal opened Group K with a disappointing result, dropping points in a shocking draw with Congo DR. Ronaldo went scoreless in that opener while Messi, his longtime rival with Argentina, scored a hat trick in his World Cup opening match. Ronaldo's blank in Portugal's first game led many to question whether he was holding his national squad back.
Martínez Backs Ronaldo
Portugal coach Roberto Martínez defended his captain on Monday.
He's an example. He's been playing for his country for a long time. He wants to contribute, and he's a role model for our team.
That same Monday, Ronaldo had to watch Messi shine again. Argentina's star scored a brace against Austria, bringing his goal total for this World Cup to five and giving him sole possession of the all time goals record at the event with 17.
Ronaldo's Tuesday Response
Ronaldo answered in a big way against Uzbekistan. His two goals powered Portugal's 5-0 win and made the Portugal captain the first ever player to score in six different World Cups:
The striker also silenced whispers that he was a selfish player. Against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo fooled everyone in the stadium by having Nuno Mendes strike a free kick in the 17th minute rather than taking it himself. Mendes found the net.
Career Goals and World Cup History
Ronaldo's performance also bolstered his claim over Messi as the greatest footballer to ever take the pitch. His goals increased the massive gap in career scoring to 59, with Ronaldo tallying 975 and Messi at 916.
Messi and Argentina won the 2022 World Cup, while Ronaldo has never made it past the semi finals. If Ronaldo can continue to turn back the clock, he may just be hoisting this trophy too by the end of the summer.
