Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first player in football history to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments after finding the net in his country’s Group K match against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
The 41-year-old forward opened the scoring in the sixth minute in Houston, converting a cross from João Cancelo to register his latest World Cup goal. Ronaldo later doubled his tally with a second strike in the 39th minute as Portugal cruised to a comfortable victory.
The goals extended Ronaldo’s remarkable World Cup scoring record across six editions of the tournament — 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 — a feat no other player has achieved.
Ronaldo’s first goal against Uzbekistan was his ninth in World Cup competition and his 144th international goal for Portugal, further cementing his status as one of the greatest players in football history.
The Portugal skipper also became the second-oldest player to score at a FIFA World Cup at 41 years and 138 days old, trailing only Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who scored against Russia at the 1994 World Cup aged 42 years and 39 days.
Portugal’s dominant performance also featured goals from Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leão, while Uzbekistan added to their woes with an own goal. The result marked a strong response from Roberto Martínez’s side following their disappointing 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their opening match.
A five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Ronaldo is still chasing the one major trophy missing from his illustrious career — the FIFA World Cup. The Portuguese star hopes to add football’s most prestigious prize to the UEFA European Championship title he won with Portugal in 2016.
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Cristiano Ronaldo Makes History with Goals in Six FIFA World Cup Tournaments