Cristiano Ronaldo spoke about his emotions after scoring twice in Portugal’s 5-0 World Cup win over Uzbekistan, breaking down what the week had been like for him and the team.
“I’m very happy, but for me, the most important thing is the work the team put in and the confidence we had,” Ronaldo said.
He admitted the criticism after the DR Congo draw had been tough. “We took a lot of heat during the week, we knew that would happen, but the team worked really well; we improved a lot. Sometimes good things come out of bad situations, as the saying goes.”
On breaking records, he kept it in perspective. “Obviously, regarding myself, it’s always nice to break records, but my goal is to help the national team achieve its objectives. In this instance, the goal was to get through the qualifying round. I think with four points, we’ve already made it.”
He also spoke about how personal the week had been. “It was a difficult week, a dark week. It seemed like I had already retired from football, but I held firm, as I always do, because I believe more in hard work than in anything else.”
Ronaldo credited his teammates and his faith for getting through it. “I knew that God helps those who work hard, and I knew my teammates would help me too.”
He ended with a simple message: “It was tough, I have to admit, but we’re back.”
Cristiano Ronaldo Refuses to Answer Question About Lionel Messi After Portugal’s World Cup Win
Cristiano Ronaldo made it clear he wasn’t interested in talking about Lionel Messi. The 41-year-old had just scored twice, finally getting on the scoresheet after a quiet opener against DR Congo. But when a reporter tried to ask about Messi, who had also scored two goals the night before, Ronaldo shut it down immediately.
“Yesterday, Lionel Messi scored two goals,” the reporter began. But the second Messi’s name left the reporter’s lips, Ronaldo turned away and motioned for another reporter to ask a question instead. He could be heard repeating “Go ahead” a few times, completely ignoring the first question.
The rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi is well-documented at this point in their careers. But clearly, there’s still some sensitivity about the topic, at least from Ronaldo’s side. Their post-European club careers have taken very different paths. Ronaldo joined Saudi club Al-Nassr, while Messi went to Inter Miami in MLS, where he’s grown his brand for an American audience.
The reporter was well within his rights to ask about Messi, especially with both players performing well despite their age. But Ronaldo made it clear he wasn’t interested in answering.
Cristiano Ronaldo Breaks Eusébio’s 60-Year Portugal World Cup Goals Record
Cristiano Ronaldo broke a 60-year-old Portuguese record by scoring twice in Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan He overtook the legendary Eusébio as his country’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer.
Portugal came into the match under pressure after a frustrating 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their opener. Questions had been asked about the team’s flat attack, and Ronaldo himself faced criticism after failing to convert several chances. He answered all of it in the first six minutes.
João Cancelo drove forward down the right and put in a low cross. Ronaldo timed his run perfectly, flicked the ball past Uzbekistan’s goalkeeper, and gave Portugal the lead. That goal made him the first player ever to score in six different World Cups, a record he’d already owned after becoming the first to score in five.
His second goal came just before halftime. Bruno Fernandes played a precise pass through the defense, Ronaldo timed his run perfectly, and he calmly slotted it into the corner. That made it 3-0 and put him on ten World Cup goals for Portugal, moving him past Eusébio’s long-standing record of nine.
The achievement closed a chapter that began at the 1966 World Cup in England. Eusébio, known as the “Black Panther,” scored all nine of his goals in a single tournament, leading Portugal to third place. He did it in just six matches, with six of those goals coming at Goodison Park in Liverpool. For 60 years, no Portuguese player managed to surpass that mark. Ronaldo finally did it in Houston.
At 41 years and 138 days old, Ronaldo also became the second-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, behind only Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who scored at 42 in 1994. The double pushed Ronaldo’s career tally to 975 goals for club and country.
FAQs
Q. How did Cristiano Ronaldo describe the week before the Uzbekistan match?
A. Ronaldo called it a difficult and dark week but said the team stayed strong.
Q. Why did Cristiano Ronaldo refuse to answer a question about Lionel Messi?
A. Ronaldo ignored the question and chose to take another reporter’s question instead.
Q. What did Ronaldo say about breaking records?
A. Ronaldo said breaking records is nice, but helping Portugal is his main goal.
Q. How many career goals does Cristiano Ronaldo?
A. Ronaldo reached 975 goals for club and country.
Get the FIFA World Cup 2026 Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.
