With history on the line, Cristiano Ronaldo had a tepid first game at the 2026 World Cup. All he needed was one goal, and Ronaldo would become the first man to score in six World Cups. It didn’t come in his first game, where Ronaldo was held scoreless in a 1-1 draw against Congo DR.
He didn’t keep his fans waiting too long to accomplish that feat, though. Early in Tuesday’s game against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo officially set that record, scoring a goal in the fifth minute of the match to give Portugal a 1-0 lead.
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Ronaldo found himself in the perfect spot — just in front of the goal — when teammate João Cancelo delivered a perfect cross. Ronaldo drilled his kick, sending it past the goalkeeper before he had a chance to dive in front of it.
But Ronaldo wasn’t done there as the Portugal captain struck again in the 39th minute. Bruno Fernandes split the Uzbekistan defense with a perfectly weighted through ball, sending his former Manchester United teammate in behind. Ronaldo met it in stride and calmly slid his finish into the bottom-left corner to extend Portugal’s lead to 3-0.
The strike broke Ronaldo’s tie with Eusébio and made him Portugal’s outright leading scorer at the World Cup with 10 career goals.
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Ronaldo, 41, has set a number of records across his many years with Portugal. He already holds the most appearances and goals for a player with a men’s national team. Entering the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo had 228 appearances — and counting — with Portugal. After Tuesday’s goal, he’s scored a record 145 goals with the team.
His time at the World Cup — as you might expect — has been similarly impressive.
Here’s how Ronaldo has performed at each of his six World Cups:
2006
• Goals: 1
• Assists: 0
• Minutes played: 482
• Results: Portugal went 4-1-2 over seven games, finishing in fourth place
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2010
• Goals: 1
• Assists: 1
• Minutes played: 360
• Results: Portugal went 1-2-1 in four games, losing in the Round of 16
2014
• Goals: 1
• Assists: 1
• Minutes played: 270
• Results: Portugal went 1-1-1 in three games and lost in the group stage
2018
• Goals: 4
• Assists: 0
• Minutes played: 360
• Results: Portugal went 1-2-1 in four games, losing in the Round of 16
2022
• Goals: 1
• Assists: 0
• Minutes played: 290
• Results: Portugal went 3-0-2 in five games, losing in the quarterfinals
2026*
• Goals: 2
• Assists: 0
• Minutes played: 95 and counting
• Results: Portugal is 0-1-0 so far
*2026 stats through June 23
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Lionel Messi has also shined at historic 2026 World Cup
It’s already been a historic World Cup. During Argentina‘s 2-0 win over Austria, Lionel Messi became the all-time leading goal scorer at the event. He has scored 18 goals — and counting — at his six World Cups. While Messi, like Ronaldo, has appeared in six different World Cups, he did not score a goal for Argentina in 2010, paving the way for Ronaldo to claim the record by scoring in six different World Cups.
Ronaldo has some work to do if he wants to move up the all-time goal rankings at the World Cup. He entered the 2026 World Cup with eight goals under his belt. At least three other players — Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane — all entered the event with more World Cup goals than Ronaldo.
With Tuesday’s goals, Ronaldo now has 10 total at his six World Cups, putting him on an elite list of just 16 other players with double-digit goals in the tournament.
