Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal defeated Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston, becoming the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history. Legendary goalscorer makes big statement after harsh criticism
Cristiano Ronaldo speaks to the media after the victory against Uzbekistan (Image: 2026 FIFA)
Cristiano Ronaldo has warned critics to lower their ratings at their peril after scoring twice to help Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston.
“I’m back, I’m back,” Ronaldo shouted into the television cameras after finally making it to the World Cup party. And the 41-year-old icon revealed he was desperate to prove people wrong after going through a “dark week” as an unknown in the first game against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ronaldo accused critics of forcing him to retire from the game. And when asked why he shouted defiantly at the camera, Ronaldo replied: “Don’t forget, don’t forget.
“It was a difficult and dark week. I felt like I had already retired from football, but I believe in hard work more than football, so I continued to work hard as always. It was difficult, I must confess, but we came back.”
Ronaldo’s goal made him the first player to score in six World Cup competitions. In addition, in the final, he overtook Eusebio to become Portugal’s all-time leading scorer, and the second oldest scorer in the tournament’s history after Roger Milla.
Ronaldo denied reports of a split in camp, adding: “I’m very happy, but the most important thing for me was the work the team did and the confidence we had. We took a lot of hits this week and we knew it was going to happen, but the team performed very well and we improved a lot.”
“As they say, sometimes bad can be good. Speaking for myself, it’s always great to break records, but my goal is to help the national team achieve their goals.
“In this regard, the aim was to qualify and with the four points I think we have already achieved that.”
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