A day after Argentina’s Lionel Messi became the FIFA World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo etched his own name into tournament history by becoming the first football player to score in six editions of the competition.
The Portugal attacker struck in the sixth minute of his nation’s Group K clash with Uzbekistan, meeting João Cancelo’s cross at the near post to give his side the lead. It was Ronaldo’s ninth goal since making his tournament debut in 2006 and his 144th in total for his country.
But he wasn’t done just yet. Capitalising on a fast-breaking counter-attack initiated by Bruno Fernandes, the 41-year-old icon made the most of a through pass that foiled the Uzbek defence, booting the ball towards the far post to earn his second goal of the match.
Joined by the crowd in his beloved “Siu!” celebration after the second goal, the Portuguese superstar savoured the moment as he became the Iberian nation’s leading goalscorer at the World Cup, breaking Eusébio’s long-standing record of nine.
While Ronaldo’s tally lags behind Messi’s tournament record of 18, it’s clear the player known simply as “CR7” to fans around the world has left a monumental legacy on the sport – one he’ll hope to amend further in Portugal’s final group stage match against Colombia on Saturday, 27 June.
“I’m very happy,” Ronaldo said after the match. “But for me, the most important thing is our work and the confidence we showed. The team performed really well and improved a lot.”
Of course, there’s more than goals to be earned. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is also aiming to win his first World Cup trophy at this year’s tournament, adding the game’s biggest prize to the UEFA European Championship winner’s medal he won in 2016.
“Obviously, speaking personally, records are always nice, but my goal is always to help the national team achieve its objectives,” he concluded.
