cristiano ronaldo The Portuguese responded strongly to criticism after Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0, declaring “I’m back” after a record-breaking performance that helped revive Portugal’s World Cup campaign and added several milestones to his remarkable career.Cristiano Ronaldo heard the noise.The Portugal captain goes into Tuesday night’s Group K match against Uzbekistan under pressure after a disappointing 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their opening game. Questions have been raised about Portugal’s attacking performances, while Ronaldo himself faces renewed scrutiny over his form, advancing age and whether he can still impact the game at the highest level. At 41, he is the oldest outfield player in the tournament, and when he arrived in Houston, critics questioned whether his World Cup days had finally caught up with him.Ninety minutes later, the conversation looked very different.Ronaldo scored twice to help Portugal win 5-0 in Houston, sealing their promotion hopes and rewriting another chapter in football history.After the final whistle, the 41-year-old spotted a TV camera and delivered a message that quickly became one of the night’s defining images.“I’m back, I’m back” he shouted.Later, when asked about these remarks, Ronaldo gave a brief explanation.“Yeah, so people don’t forget.”
Ronaldo responds to criticism on the pitch
Portugal reacted almost immediately. Just six minutes into the game, Joao Cancelo broke into the penalty area from the right wing and made a low cross. Ronaldo timed his movement perfectly, away from his marker, before flicking the ball past Uzbek goalkeeper Abdulvohid Nematov.The goal gave Portugal an early lead and made Ronaldo the first player in football history to score in six different World Cup matches.His second goal came shortly before half-time.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (7) celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the World Cup Group K football match between Portugal and Uzbekistan on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Bruno Fernandez regained possession in midfield and threaded a precise pass through the Uzbek defense. Ronaldo immediately anticipated the move, broke the offside trap and calmly fired into the corner to make it 3-0.The strike took him to 10 World Cup goals for Portugal, surpassing Eusebio’s long-standing national record of nine, which had stood since the legendary striker’s iconic England campaign in 1966.Ronaldo cleverly acted as decoy from a free-kick and Nuno Mendes doubled Portugal’s advantage early on, before Rafael Leao’s own-goal and late strike completed the rout.
“They said I should retire”
In an interview after the game, Ronaldo admitted that the past week had been difficult.“It’s been a tough, dark week. It feels like I’ve retired from football. But I’ve soldiered on, like I always do, because I believe in work more than anything else.”The comments reflected not only criticism of his performance against the Democratic Republic of Congo but also speculation about alleged tensions within the Portuguese camp.Ronaldo has denied any suggestion of a split in the squad.“I know my teammates will help me as well. I have to admit, it’s difficult, but we’re back. I’m happy.”He also responded directly to the criticism.“They said I should retire…but here I am.”“There’s always this noise outside, but we can’t control it. We keep going and we stick together.”
Another historic night with more records set
As well as Portugal’s victory, Ronaldo left the pitch with several new achievements.His first goal made him the first footballer to score in six different World Cups. At 41 years and 138 days old, he also became the second-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, second only to Roger Milla of Cameroon. At the same time, his career goals for club and national team reached an astonishing 975.When asked about another record-breaking night, Ronaldo tried to shift the focus back to the team.“It’s always nice to break records, but my goal is to help the national team achieve their goals. The most important thing is the work of the team and our confidence. “
Messi issue elicits mixed responses
Ronaldo had little interest in discussing Lionel Messi after the game.When a reporter started asking Messi about his latest achievements, he answered the question briefly and pointed to another reporter. He then warned: “It depends, otherwise I won’t answer you.”The only time he briefly touched on the topic was when asked about a possible meeting with Argentina.“I don’t know what to answer. The question doesn’t make a lot of sense. But, well, that’s going to be the most important thing.”Portugal’s focus now turns to their decisive final Group K match against Colombia. Victory would secure top spot in the group and turn the tables on the frustrations of their opening draw with DR Congo.
