Cristiano Ronaldo breaks Messi's World Cup age record in Portugal's 5-0 win
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0 in their Group K match at Houston Stadium. The win lifted Portugal after their opening draw and added more World Cup records to Ronaldo's career.
- Jun 24, 2026,
- Updated Jun 24, 2026, 7:54 AM IST
Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name deeper into FIFA World Cup history after scoring twice in Portugal's emphatic 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their Group K clash at Houston Stadium on Tuesday.
The 41-year-old forward became the oldest player ever to score more than once in a men's FIFA World Cup match, surpassing the mark previously held by Lionel Messi. Ronaldo achieved the feat at 41 years and 138 days, overtaking Messi, who set the record at 38 years and 363 days.
Portugal delivered a dominant performance from start to finish, with Ronaldo opening the scoring in the sixth minute before adding a second goal before half-time. Nuno Mendes also found the net, while an own goal by Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov and a late strike from Rafael Leao completed the rout.
The brace also saw Ronaldo become Portugal's all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 10 goals, moving ahead of Eusebio's tally of nine. Pauleta remains third on the list with four goals.
Ronaldo added another milestone by becoming Portugal's oldest goalscorer at a World Cup. Remarkably, he also remains the country's youngest World Cup scorer, having netted against Iran in 2006 at the age of 21. Only a handful of players, including Messi for Argentina and Michael Laudrup for Denmark, share the distinction of being both their nation's youngest and oldest World Cup scorers.
The Portuguese captain also became the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments, extending a record-breaking international career that has now spanned more than two decades.
Roger Milla of Cameroon remains the oldest player to score in a World Cup match, having found the net at 42 years and 39 days.
Portugal's convincing win came after a disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their tournament opener. Roberto Martinez's side controlled possession throughout against Uzbekistan and rarely looked troubled, strengthening their position in the group while significantly improving their goal difference ahead of their final group-stage fixture.