Ronaldo had let one World Cup game pass him by and was not going to let it happen twice. After a poor display against DR Congo, the Portugal forward delivered a masterclass against Uzbekistan to announce himself at this World Cup.
In doing so, he became the first player to score at six World Cups, a record stretching back to 2006, and ensured Portugal are almost certain to play in the last 32.
Breaking the Goal Drought
It had been some time since Ronaldo scored at a major tournament. His last goal had been a penalty against Ghana in Portugal's opening match at Qatar 2022, followed by 10 goalless games at World Cups and the Euros.
For context, Lionel Messi had scored 11 World Cup goals since Ronaldo's last one. With Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland all scoring at least twice in each of their appearances so far at this tournament, Ronaldo had been left behind. That changed against Uzbekistan.
Ronaldo opened the scoring in the sixth minute. The roar that followed his opener felt like a mixture of relief, delight, and pent-up frustration.
CRISTIANO RONALDO FIRST GOAL OF THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP! 🇵🇹
LISTEN TO THAT NOISE 🔊 Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first player to score at 6 different World Cups!
Ronaldo's Two Goals
Both of Ronaldo's goals were brilliantly taken. The first involved excellent movement at the near post to beat a dozing Abdulla Abdullaev to Joao Cancelo's low cross.
The second saw him peel off two defenders through on goal before finding the far corner with a smart low finish.
The World Cup's oldest ever outfield player became the first man to score at six World Cups, an exceptional feat of endurance, desire, longevity, and brilliance.
Portugal were facing an overawed and inexperienced Uzbekistan defence, which must be taken into account. Given how it appears Ronaldo will play pretty much every minute for Portugal whatever the circumstances, this was an important breakthrough for their tournament hopes, as well as a moment of World Cup history.
Martinez on Ronaldo as a Decoy
In his pre-match press conference, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez spoke about one of his captain's qualities: acting as a decoy.
Ronaldo opens up spaces in defences. The numbers support this. If you look at the last 32 games, he opens up more spaces than any other player.
Martinez, who has shown exceptional patience in continually answering questions about Ronaldo in a measured fashion, laid out that quality before kickoff.
How Ronaldo and Nuno Mendes Fooled Uzbekistan
Using Ronaldo to distract the Uzbek defence for Portugal's second goal was a deliberate plan. It probably was not quite what Martinez had in mind when he spoke about Ronaldo opening spaces, but the tactic was clear on the pitch.
A colossal roar went up in the stadium as soon as Ronaldo stood over the free kick just outside the penalty area in the 17th minute. Only a very few even noticed Nuno Mendes was also lining it up.
After the PSG left-back had swept his shot, Portugal had executed the decoy plan that Martinez had described in broader terms before the match.
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- Joao Cancelo
- The World Cup
- Roberto Martinez
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