Ronaldo opened the scoring with a first-half strike in Houston and added another goal later in the same half as Portugal cruised to victory. The brace marked an emphatic response to critics of the 41-year-old, many of whom said he should not be starting after a subpar display in Portugal's opening-game tie with DR Congo.
Ronaldo Among World Cup Icon Braces
Ronaldo is the latest among a group of the sport's icons who have scored doubles at the World Cup so far. That group includes Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane.
Messi already has a hat trick and a brace at this tournament, while Mbappe and Haaland have scored two goals in each of their first two games.
Mixed Zone Exchange
After Tuesday's game, a reporter in the mixed zone started asking Ronaldo about Messi, but the Portugal star quickly shut the question down before it was even fully asked.
Yesterday, Lionel Messi scored two goals,
The reporter asked that in Spanish before Ronaldo abruptly turned away and moved on to another question.
Ronaldo said that to the next reporter.
Ronaldo and Messi at the 2026 World Cup
Ronaldo and Messi have been linked throughout their careers as they are widely considered the two best players of their generation. Messi has won the Ballon d'Or eight times while Ronaldo has done so five times.
This tournament has already seen the duo make history. Ronaldo and Messi have become the first two men to play in six World Cups. While Ronaldo is now the first man to score in six World Cups, Messi has become the all-time highest World Cup scorer by reaching 18 goals, and counting.
