Read 4 minutes24 Jun 2026 12:42 PM IST
When the final whistle blew in Houston on Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo walked up to a nearby camera, looked directly into the lens and shouted two words: “I’m back.” Later, when asked about this in the mixed zone, he explained the reason. “So people don’t forget,” he said.
Ronaldo had just scored twice to become the first player in history to score in six different World Cups, leading Portugal to a 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan, answering the biggest doubts of his career, at least for one night.
He scored on six minutes, turning around in the six-yard box to meet Joao Cancelo’s cross and smashing the ball past goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov. His second came in the 39th minute, receiving a perfect pass from Bruno Fernandes and beating the keeper. The result left Portugal on the brink of the knockout stages after a 1-1 draw with DR Congo.
Speaking to Sport TV, he said that the past week was the toughest of his career. “It was a tough week, a dark one. It started as if I had retired from football. But I persevered as always because I believe in work more than football.”
Reaction from former players of the game was swift.
On ITV, Roy Keane was unequivocal. “The man is an amazing, amazing player. The stats are fantastic and there’s no surprise there. It’s amazing what he’s done in the game of football for 20-odd years.” Rio Ferdinand’s response to X was short: “Shut up.”
On a Fox Sports panel in the United States, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was still dry. “I thought he never left,” he said. I don’t know why he says ‘I am back’. Ibrahimovic hailed a moment of unusual selflessness: when Portugal won a free-kick near the area chanting Ronaldo’s name, he stood aside and let Nuno Mendes shoot. “When everyone thinks the main man is going to shoot, he lets the free kick go to Nuno Mendes,” Ibrahimovic said. “All the stars have now presented themselves at the World Cup.”
Thierry Henry, who was Bitter criticism of Ronaldo after Congo drawThe final whistle was then counted. “A typical day at the office,” he said on Fox Soccer. Former Manchester United teammate Owen Hargreaves was more impressive. “Cristiano delivers. When he’s served, he delivers, wherever he’s gone, he’s done it. A lot of firepower.”
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Former England defender Lee Dixon, on ITV, said: “You can feel the tension coming off, the hair on the back of your neck. Anyone who loves football will be delighted he scored that goal. He’s grown now.”
Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro, who often faced Ronaldo as one of Italy’s best defenders, paid a different kind of tribute. “As a defender you have to be very smart to get close to him because if you give him a centimeter in the box, you’re dead,” he said. “I told him: maybe you can do more years and not retire, enjoy football. Because if you still look like this, why not move on?”
Ronaldo’s 10 World Cup goals have overtaken Eusebio as Portugal’s all-time top scorer at the tournament. He is now the second-oldest run-scorer in World Cup history behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla. Portugal will face Colombia on Saturday. That will be the real test.