Cristiano Ronaldo, again written off, answers the brace as Portugal hit five
Cristiano Ronaldo has spent much of his career proving people wrong.
However, every few months football decides that it has finally hit a decline. Every few months someone declares that the end is near. And every few months, Ronaldo finds a way to drag the conversation back to a familiar place.
Ask his age and he scores.
Doubt his place in the team and he scores.
Hint that Portugal could be better if they progress, and more often than not, they score again.
PORTUGAL vs. UZBEKISTAN, FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: HIGHLIGHTS
The latest round of criticism came after Portugal’s disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their World Cup opener. Ronaldo looked isolated, managing just 25 touches to extend his streak of 10 games without a goal at a major international tournament. Thierry Henry was among those questioning whether Roberto Martinez’s side needed a different attacking profile, while social media has already started preparing retirement speeches on behalf of the captain.
The timing couldn’t have been worse.
On the other side of football’s biggest rivalry, Lionel Messi has been busy enjoying an instant story-shaping start to the World Cup. Five goals, breaking records and another reminder that he remains football’s best tournament player meant the spotlight shifted firmly to the Argentina captain. For perhaps the first time in years, Ronaldo wasn’t the story.
Historically, it rarely took long.
So when Portugal entered Houston needing a response, he felt it was about more than three points. Ronaldo needed a performance. Portugal needed a performance. And Roberto Martinez needed proof that his faith in his 41-year-old captain was not built on nostalgia.
Ninety minutes later, no one in a packed NRG Stadium was questioning that belief.
Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal demolished Uzbekistan 5-0 and the captain added another chapter to a career that seems to be thriving whenever the noise is impossible to ignore.
PORTUGAL FINALLY FOUND THEIR CAPTAIN
The most encouraging aspect of Portugal’s performance was not Ronaldo’s finishing.
It was a service.
Against DR Congo, Portugal often looked like a team with too many ideas and not enough direction. Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Bernardo Silva all looked to influence the game, but their creativity rarely translated into meaningful opportunities for the man leading the line.
Ronaldo spent much of this match running unnoticed and occupying spaces that no one looked like taking advantage of.
Against Uzbekistan, Portugal’s midfield suddenly looked united by a simple goal: find Ronaldo.
Fernandes looked for him at every opportunity. Cancelo repeatedly targeted him from wide areas. Vitinha moved possession with much more urgency. Instead of playing around Ronaldo, Portugal started playing through him.
The result was clear within six minutes.
Cancelo broke down the right wing and sent a dangerous low cross into the area. Ronaldo’s movement did the rest. One fierce dart to the near post, one simple finish and one very famous celebration later, Portugal had a breakthrough.
Which meant that just like Messi Ronaldo ended the night with a World Cup record in his pocket.
The goal made Ronaldo the first player in football history to score in six different World Cups. It also surpassed Eusebio as Portugal’s top scorer in World Cup history with 10 goals.
More importantly, it settled for a Portuguese side who suddenly looked much more comfortable in possession.
After one of the smartest moments of the evening, Nuno Mendes doubled the advantage in the 17th minute. With everyone in the stadium expecting Ronaldo to pounce on a free-kick from the edge of the box, Mendes emerged from a different angle to fire home after Portugal’s masked routine caught Uzbekistan completely by surprise.
The game briefly threatened to take an unexpected turn when Azizjon Ganiev fired a stunning effort into the net from distance midway through the half. The celebration didn’t last long. VAR spotted a foul on Cancelo during the build-up and the goal was ruled out.
Portugal quickly gained control.
The third goal showed exactly what was missing against DR Congo. Fernandes won possession, burst forward and delivered a beautifully balanced pass into Ronaldo’s path. The skipper opened the body and guided the low end into the far corner.
The move was all that Portugal lacked in the opener. Quick transition, purpose in possession and a midfield finally operating on the same wavelength as his captain.
For perhaps the first time at this World Cup, Portugal looked like a side built to maximize Ronaldo rather than simply accommodate him.
A HAT-TRICK THAT CAUGHT
While the brace provided some relief, Ronaldo’s night probably should have been even better.
For long stretches of the second half, Portugal looked almost determined to produce a hat-trick for their captain.
And honestly, they almost did.
The service that was missing against DR Congo suddenly became relentless. Each attack seemed to come with an unofficial instruction: find Ronaldo.
Fernandes continued to find his runs. Bernardo Silva joined the effort after coming off the bench. Even Portugal’s standard procedures were designed to create one more chance for the captain.
Opportunities were everywhere.
One saw Ronaldo head into the box from a cleverly disguised free-kick before goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov smothered the chance. Another arrived after the Uzbek goalkeeper carelessly relinquished possession, only to recover brilliantly to deny the Portugal captain. There were shots that went wide, dangerous runs that stretched defenses and moments when Houston collectively rose to their feet and expected the third goal to come. That never happened.
If anything, Ronaldo may be the only man in the stadium to leave feeling slightly disappointed.
He missed the hat trick. But for Portugal, the night was a significant tactical victory.
Their fourth goal came just after the hour when another dangerous set-piece created chaos in the six-yard box. The ball finally bounced into the net with a combination of bodies, Nematov ended up scoring an unfortunate own goal.
Uzbekistan looked exhausted by then.
Fabio Cannavaro’s side went into the game hoping to upset one of the tournament favorites after showing encouraging signs against Colombia. Instead, they found themselves overwhelmed by a Portuguese side that had finally found their rhythm.
The score was completed in three minutes by Rafael Leao, who broke the home team’s goal from close range after another punctuated Portuguese attack.
Ronaldo became only the second oldest goalscorer in World Cup history behind Roger Milla. He became the oldest player to score twice in a World Cup match. He became the first player to score in six editions of the tournament.
The records grab the headlines, but perhaps the bigger catch for Portugal was how comfortable they ended up looking with their midfield and captain operating on the same wavelength.
Against DR Congo, Ronaldo often resembled a striker stranded on an island, running unnoticed and waiting for service that rarely arrived. Against Uzbekistan, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Joao Cancelo made him the focal point of almost every meaningful attack. The result was a Portuguese side that looked more fluid, purposeful and considerably more dangerous.
That connection will face much sterner scrutiny in the final Group K clash against Colombia.
Unlike Uzbekistan, Colombia have the ability to punish the moments of positional confusion that kept appearing in Portugal’s midfield. They also come with a momentum of their own and present the toughest challenge Portugal have faced so far at this tournament.
For Roberto Martinez, this match may reveal a lot more about his side’s World Cup accreditation than a five-goal victory ever can.
For now, though, Portugal leave Houston with momentum, confidence and a captain who has once again thrust himself back into the center of the World Cup conversation.
A week after questions were asked about his age, his influence and whether Portugal should start planning for life beyond him, Cristiano Ronaldo responded as he always does.
Not with words.
With goals.
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– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
24 Jun 2026 01:07 IST