Cristiano Ronaldo stared into the television camera lens and screamed: “I’m back! I’m back!” The words were a defiant message to those who had written him off after Portugal’s flat 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their World Cup opener. And on Tuesday night in Houston, the 41-year-old delivered the perfect response — scoring twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan to become the first player to find the net in six World Cups.
Ronaldo had been heavily criticised after Portugal’s laboured start, with question marks over his continued ability to lead the attack. He had not scored in 10 major tournament games before the fixture. “It was a difficult, dark week; it felt like I’d already retired from football,” he said later. “But I held on as I always do because I believe more in hard work than in football.”
“Ronaldo scores twice to become first player to net at six World Cups, silencing critics after Portugal's difficult week.”
The Portugal captain needed just six minutes to open the scoring, sweeping in a superb half-volley from Joao Cancelo’s cross. He then added a second before the break, sliding home a fine finish after Bruno Fernandes’ perfectly-weighted through-ball. Only a goalline clearance from Abdukodir Khusanov denied Ronaldo a first-half hat-trick. The win lifted spirits in a camp that had been engulfed by controversy, with rows on social media between WAGs and a rumour mill in overdrive. “God helps those who work hard,” Ronaldo added. “When things don’t go well it’s: ‘Cristiano, he’s finished, he’s old.’ But it was a good response from me and my teammates.”
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez, who resisted calls to drop Ronaldo, said the forward had been a “perfect captain” during the difficult week. “Both of them make history in football,” Martinez said, referring to Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who became the World Cup’s highest scorer of all time a day earlier. Ronaldo, when asked about Messi’s record, replied bluntly: “I don’t care about Messi.”
Portugal now sit top of Group K with four points. They face Colombia on Sunday, 28 June to determine who advances as group winners. “If we are united, I think we can go very far,” Ronaldo said. “Today I was the best player on the field, tomorrow it will be someone else.”