Cristiano Ronaldo produced one of the most memorable performances of the 2026 World Cup as Portugal crushed Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston on June 23. The veteran forward scored twice and set several records on a night that added another remarkable chapter to his career.
First player to score at six World Cups
Ronaldo became the first player in World Cup history to score in six different tournaments when he opened the scoring in the sixth minute. His World Cup goals now stretch from Germany in 2006 to the United States in 2026.
He scored against Iran in 2006, North Korea in 2010, Ghana in 2014, Spain in 2018, Ghana again in 2022 and now Uzbekistan in 2026. No other player has scored in six separate editions of the tournament.
Portugal’s all-time top World Cup scorer
His second goal of the night took his World Cup tally to 10 and moved him past Eusebio as Portugal’s leading scorer in the competition.
Eusebio scored nine goals during the 1966 World Cup. Ronaldo has now surpassed that mark after playing across six tournaments over a 20-year period.
Second-oldest scorer in World Cup history
At 41 years and 138 days, Ronaldo became the second-oldest goalscorer in the history of the men’s World Cup.
Only Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who scored at 42 years and 39 days during the 1994 tournament, remains ahead of him. Ronaldo is now also the oldest European player ever to score at a World Cup.
Youngest and oldest World Cup scorer for Portugal
Ronaldo is now both Portugal’s youngest and oldest World Cup goalscorer.
He first scored at the tournament as a 21-year-old against Iran in 2006. Twenty years later, he added another goal to his collection against Uzbekistan.
Only Denmark’s Michael Laudrup and Argentina’s Lionel Messi have achieved the same feat for their countries.
Most major tournaments scored at
Ronaldo has now scored in 11 major international tournaments, including World Cups and European Championships.
That is more than any other European player. Jurgen Klinsmann, Miroslav Klose and Xherdan Shaqiri are next on the list with six tournaments each.
24th World Cup appearance
The match against Uzbekistan was Ronaldo’s 24th appearance at the World Cup.
Only Lionel Messi, with 28 matches, and Germany legend Lothar Matthaus, with 25, have played more games at the tournament.
Portugal’s third five-goal World Cup win
Portugal recorded only their third victory by five or more goals at a World Cup.
Their previous big wins came against North Korea in 2010 and Switzerland in 2022.
New group-stage goals record
Portugal’s win also helped the tournament reach a new milestone.
The 2026 World Cup group stage reached 139 goals after 45 matches, breaking the previous record of 136 goals set during the 2014 tournament.
Rare free-kick goal for Portugal
Nuno Mendes also made history during the match.
His free kick in the 17th minute was only the second direct free-kick goal scored by Portugal at a World Cup.
The first was scored by Ronaldo against Spain during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Ronaldo’s brace, Portugal’s dominant win and a series of records combined to make it one of the standout nights of the tournament so far.
