4 min learnJun 24, 2026 12:42 PM IST
When the ultimate whistle blew in Houston on Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo walked in direction of the closest digicam, appeared immediately into the lens and shouted two phrases: “I’m again.” When requested about it within the blended zone afterwards, he defined why. “So individuals don’t forget,” he stated.
Ronaldo had simply scored twice to turn out to be the primary participant in historical past to attain at six totally different World Cups, main Portugal to a 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan that answered, a minimum of for one night time, the loudest doubts of his profession.
He opened the scoring inside six minutes, swivelling on the six-yard field to satisfy a cross from Joao Cancelo and smash the ball previous goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov. His second got here within the thirty ninth minute, receiving a perfectly-placed move from Bruno Fernandes and ending low previous the keeper. The end result moved Portugal to the brink of the knockout rounds after their opening 1-1 draw with DR Congo.
Talking to Sport TV, he stated the earlier week had been the toughest of his profession. “It was a troublesome week, a darkish one. It began as if I had retired from soccer. However I held on as I all the time maintain on as a result of I consider in work greater than soccer.”
The response from the sport’s former gamers was swift.
On ITV, Roy Keane was unequivocal. “The man is wonderful, wonderful participant. The stats are implausible and there’s no surprises. He’s wonderful what he has executed within the recreation of soccer for 20-odd years.” Rio Ferdinand’s response on X was shorter: “Shut up.”
On the Fox Sports activities panel in america, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was dryer nonetheless. “I assumed he by no means left,” he stated. “I don’t know why he says ‘I’m again’.” Ibrahimovic additionally praised a second of bizarre selflessness: when Portugal gained a free-kick close to the realm with the group chanting Ronaldo’s identify, he stood apart and let Nuno Mendes shoot. “When everyone thinks the primary man goes to shoot, he lets the free kick go to Nuno Mendes,” Ibrahimovic stated. “All the celebs have now introduced themselves within the World Cup.”
Thierry Henry, who had been Ronaldo’s sharpest critic after the Congo draw, was measured after the ultimate whistle. “A traditional day on the workplace,” he stated on Fox Soccer. Owen Hargreaves, a former Manchester United teammate, was extra effusive. “Cristiano delivers. When he will get the service, he delivers, all over the place he’s gone, he’s executed that. There’s a lot firepower.”
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Ex-England defender Lee Dixon, on ITV, stated: “You possibly can really feel the strain has been launched, hairs on the again of your neck. Everyone that loves soccer shall be happy he’s scored this. He’s pumped up now.”
Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro, who confronted Ronaldo many occasions as certainly one of Italy’s most interesting defenders, supplied a unique form of tribute. “As a defender you should be very good to be near him as a result of in the event you give him one centimetre within the field, you’re useless,” he stated. “I instructed him: possibly you are able to do extra years and never retire, take pleasure in soccer. As a result of in the event you nonetheless appear like that, why not keep it up?”
Ronaldo’s 10 World Cup objectives surpass Eusebio as Portugal’s all-time prime scorer on the event. He’s additionally now the second oldest scorer in World Cup historical past, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla. Portugal face Colombia on Saturday. That would be the actual check.