"I'm back!"
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (41, Al Nassr) shouted those words twice toward the cameras as the match ended. It came in the team's second Group K match against Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium in the United States on Tuesday (Korea time), during the 2026 World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Powered by Ronaldo's performance, Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0 and moved into second place in the group behind Colombia with one win and one draw.
Ronaldo had earlier faced some criticism as the Portugal squad's "burdensome asset," after playing the full match in the first game against the Democratic Republic of the Congo without scoring or even recording a shot on target. But he made a complete comeback in this match.
In the sixth minute, he finished a low cross from Joao Cancelo (Barcelona) on the right flank with a one-touch strike for the opening goal. In the 39th minute, on a counterattack, he completed his brace with a precise shot aimed at the far post. The goals showcased his sharp finishing ability.
With his first goal of the day, Ronaldo set a record as the first player ever to score in six consecutive World Cup tournaments. Since first competing at the 2006 Germany tournament, he has scored in every edition. It is a great record that requires not only that his country remain competitive enough to consistently reach the World Cup finals over 20 years, but also that the player himself maintain his form without decline. His second goal was his 10th career World Cup goal, surpassing Eusebio (9 goals) to become the sole leader in World Cup goals among Portuguese players. Across all nations, Messi leads with 18 goals, followed by Mbappe with 16 goals in second place.
After the match, Ronaldo said, "I had a difficult and dark week (after the first match). I felt as if I had already retired," adding, "But I endured, as I always have. Because I believed in hard work more than anything." He continued, "When things go well, people say 'Cristiano is great,' and when things go badly, they say 'he should retire' or 'he's old,'" and said, "This match was a good answer for me and my teammates, and this is exactly what we wanted."
Asked whether he wanted a showdown with his rival, Argentina's Lionel Messi (39, Inter Miami), he said, "It seems like a meaningless question, but either way it would be wonderful." Messi leads the scoring in this World Cup with five goals in two matches.
