Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name deeper into football history on Tuesday after becoming the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments.
The 41-year-old reached the historic milestone during Portugal’s clash against Uzbekistan in Houston, finding the back of the net just six minutes into the encounter.
Ronaldo reacted quickest inside the box to finish from close range and hand Portugal an early lead while also setting a new World Cup record.
The goal marked another remarkable chapter in a career that has stretched across two decades at the highest level of international football.
Ronaldo’s World Cup scoring journey began in 2006 when he netted his first tournament goal against Iran. Since then, he has continued to feature and score across successive editions of the competition, underlining his extraordinary longevity and consistency.
The milestone came at a significant moment for the Portuguese star, who had recently faced criticism over his performances in major international tournaments.
Before the Uzbekistan match, Ronaldo had gone 10 consecutive appearances at major competitions without scoring and had registered only one assist during that period.
Questions had also been raised following his quiet display in Portugal’s opening 1–1 draw against DR Congo at the ongoing World Cup campaign in North America.
His struggles in front of goal had drawn comparisons with other leading forwards including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.
However, Ronaldo responded in familiar fashion.
The veteran forward nearly opened the scoring even earlier in the match after narrowly missing a delivery from Nuno Mendes at the far post in the opening minutes.
Although frustrated by the missed opportunity, the wait for his landmark moment lasted only a short while.
Widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal in 2003 and has continued to perform at elite level.
Now playing club football for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, he enjoyed another productive season, scoring 28 league goals in 30 appearances before arriving at the World Cup.
His latest achievement further strengthens his place among the game’s all-time greats.
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