By KRISTIE RIEKEN, HOUSTON (AP):- Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments on Tuesday by getting two goals in Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo made history in the sixth minute when João Cancelo crossed it to him and he shot with his right foot to make it 1-0. He ran toward the bench and celebrated with his teammates after the score.
He scored again in the 39th minute when he got a pass from Bruno Fernandes and shot with his right foot just inside the near post to make the score 3-0.
Ronaldo was named man of the match.
The goals make him the second-oldest player to score at a World Cup behind Cameroon forward Roger Milla, who was 42 when he scored at the 1994 tournament in the United States.
Ronaldo’s goals come after he was criticized for failing to score in Portugal’s 1-1 draw against Congo in the team’s opening match.
Ronaldo and Argentina captain Lionel Messi became the only men in history to play in six World Cup tournaments this year. Ronaldo’s scoring streak started in his debut in 2006 and he also netted goals in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.
While he shares the record for most tournaments with Messi, he stands alone in scoring a goal in each edition after Messi failed to score a goal at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Ronaldo’s goals Tuesday gave him 10 career goals in the tournament. Messi has 18 after a hat trick in Argentina’s opener against Algeria and two more goals Monday against Austria that made him the all-time leading scorer in tournament history.
His performance extended his record by giving him 145 international goals, and his 10 career goals in the World Cup moved him past Eusébio’s nine to make him Portugal’s all-time scoring leader at the tournament.
Tuesday’s game was the 230th of Ronaldo’s international career, which is the most in history.
This is likely to be the final World Cup for Ronaldo, who won the European Championship with Portugal in 2016 and the Champions League five times with Manchester United and Real Madrid.