Read for 2 minutesUpdated: June 24, 2026 12:55 AM IST
Legendary Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo finally ended his scoring drought at major tournaments and became the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cups with his first goal against Uzbekistan.
Ronaldo had previously scored in five different World Cups after scoring against Ghana at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. However, the 41-year-old striker ended a barren run that saw him go without a goal in his last 10 major tournaments, the World Cup and the European Championship. During that spell, he attempted 33 shots and accumulated an expected goals (xG) tally of 4.5.
As happened | Portugal vs Uzbekistan FIFA World Cup 2026 Highlights
It was Ronaldo’s ninth World Cup goal overall, equaling Eusebio’s record for joint-most World Cup goals by a Portuguese player.
It took another 30-odd minutes for him to break Eusebio’s record for most goals for Portugal with his second goal against Uzbekistan.
Since his debut in 2006, he has now scored in every World Cup he has played in. This is the second World Cup since 2018 in which Ronaldo has scored more than one goal in the tournament.
The 41-year-old scored two goals from Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leo and an own goal as Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0 for their first win of the tournament.
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Earlier, Argentina great Lionel Messi became the second player after Ronaldo to score against Algeria in five different World Cups. In 2010, Messi did not have a single goal to his name. After his 38th-minute strike against Austria, the Argentine became the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history, overtaking Germany’s Miroslav Klose.
World Cup goals according to Cristiano Ronaldo’s version:
- 2006 Germany: 1 goal
- 2010 South Africa: 1 goal
- 2014 Brazil: 1 goal
- 2018 Russia: 4 goals
- 2022 Qatar: 1 goal
- 2026 USA/Mexico/Canada: 2 goals*
Goals in most FIFA World Cup editions:
- Cristiano Ronaldo – 6 (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)*
- Lionel Messi – 5 (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
- Miroslav Klose – 4 (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)
- Pele – 4 (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970)
- Uwe Seiler – 4 (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970)