Cristiano Ronaldo responded to his critics after his record-breaking World Cup goals for Portugal by staring down the camera lens and stating: “I’m back, I’m back.”
The 41-year-old, much criticised after his anonymous performance against DR Congo, scored twice in a convincing 5-0 win for Portugal against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
It means Ronaldo becomes the first player to score in six World Cups, having made his first appearance in the tournament in 2006.
After full-time, Ronaldo sent his defiant message down the camera lens in Houston as the Portugal captain arrived at the 2026 tournament, following in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane in the golden boot race.
Speaking on FOX, ex-Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic said: “His message… I thought he never left.”
French World Cup winner Thierry Henry added: “We talked about how he was going to score today. An easy game, run behind… a normal day at the office.”
Former USA international Alexi Lalas: “He hears everything, sometimes it’s good in terms of motivation, but he’s a performer, and he came out and performed.
“Perspective is in order: it’s a moment for celebration but perspective… who they beat up on. Martinez needs to find a proper balance, it gets much, much more difficult.”
Joao Cancelo set up Ronaldo’s first goal with a fine run down the right flank before squaring a low cross into the penalty area. Ever the poacher, Ronaldo hooked a first-time shot towards goal from six yards out and slotted in just inside the near post to send his team ahead.
The 41-year-old later scored again after being supplied by Bruno Fernandes. He timed his run into the right side of the box before guiding a bobbling finish into the far bottom corner.
Ronaldo made his first appearance at a World Cup in 2006 aged 21 and scored one goal as Portugal reached the semi-finals.
He also scored one goal in both the 2010 and 2014 tournaments, where Portugal rather under-performed, before netting four at the 2018 World Cup. Ronaldo then scored one goal at the 2022 World Cup as Portugal reached the quarter-finals.
While Ronaldo is yet to score a goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup, or appear in a World Cup final, he became just the second player to appear in six editions of the tournament, a day after rival Lionel Messi became the first. Messi scored his first-ever World Cup hat-trick, and equalled Miroslav Klose’s all-time scoring record, in a 3-0 win over Algeria in Kansas City.
Ronaldo’s 10 World Cup goals remain some way off Messi’s total, but he could feasibly pass Germany’s Lothar Matthaus for the second-most appearances of all time if Portugal reach the knockout stages of the 48-team tournament.
Praise was quick to follow Ronaldo’s record goal with former Manchester United teammate, Owen Hargreaves, saying: “Cristiano delivers, when he gets the service he delivers, everywhere he’s gone, he’s done that. It’s only nine minutes in, but the gameplan, it’s worked.
“There’s so much more urgency, you need people to run in behind, Cristiano has people closer to him. There’s so much firepower.”
