Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo achieved two new historic milestones in his football career after scoring a brace for his national team against Uzbekistan in the first half, in the second round of World Cup competition.
Ronaldo wasted no time responding to the criticism he faced following his modest performance in the opening match against the Democratic Republic of Congo, which ended in a 1-1 draw, once again writing his name into the tournament's record books.
The Portugal striker became the first player ever to score goals in six different editions of the World Cup, reaffirming his enduring presence at the highest level of the world's most prestigious tournament. Ronaldo also claimed sole ownership of the record as Portugal's all-time top scorer at the World Cup with 10 goals, surpassing the previous record of 9 goals held by the legendary Eusébio.
Ronaldo has now played 24 matches at World Cup finals, scoring 10 goals across them, yet he continues to search for his first world title with the Portuguese national team — the tournament remaining the most glaring absent achievement from his collection.
The Portugal captain's brilliant display came just one day after his Argentine rival Lionel Messi also scored a brace, against Austria, further extending his own record as the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals.