Cristiano Ronaldo Breaks Lionel Messi’s Record (Portugal vs Uzbekistan): Cristiano Ronaldo broke Lionel Messi’s record by scoring two goals in the 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan.
Cristiano Ronaldo Breaks Lionel Messi’s Record (Portugal vs. Uzbekistan): Legendary Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has once again etched his name in history. By breaking a major record held by his rival Lionel Messi, Ronaldo has achieved the distinction of becoming the oldest player in the world to score more than one goal in a single FIFA World Cup match. He reached this historic milestone during a Group K match against Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium on Tuesday, where Portugal secured a commanding 5-0 victory.
**Portugal’s Resounding Victory Under Ronaldo’s Captaincy**
Seeking their first win of the tournament, Roberto Martínez’s Portuguese squad dominated the match from the very beginning. Leading from the front, Cristiano Ronaldo scored two magnificent goals. In addition to Ronaldo’s record-breaking brace, Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leão also contributed a goal each. Meanwhile, the already struggling Uzbekistan team faced further setbacks when their goalkeeper, Abduvohid Nematov, conceded an own goal. With this stellar performance, Portugal opened their account with their first victory of the 2026 World Cup campaign.
Lionel Messi’s record broken within just 24 hours
According to ESPN Insights, Cristiano Ronaldo was 41 years and 138 days old when he achieved this feat against Uzbekistan. With this, he has become the oldest player in football history to score two or more goals in a World Cup match. Notably, the record Ronaldo broke was one Messi had set just a day earlier—on Monday—by scoring two goals in a match against Austria. Messi had claimed that record at the age of 38 years and 363 days, only for Ronaldo to surpass it within 24 hours.
Roger Milla’s historic record remains intact
By scoring in this match, Cristiano Ronaldo has also become the second-oldest player to score in FIFA World Cup history. However, the all-time record for the oldest scorer in World Cup history still belongs to the legendary former Cameroonian striker Roger Milla. Milla set this record by scoring at the age of 42 years and 39 days during the 1994 World Cup—a record that remains unbroken to this day.
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Notably, according to the ESPN FC X (formerly Twitter) handle, both Ronaldo and Messi share the record for the longest span between a player’s first and most recent FIFA World Cup goals—20 years and 11 days. It is also worth noting that Ronaldo’s brace (two goals) brought him historic milestones: he became Portugal’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 10 goals and became the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Regarding the Portugal vs. Uzbekistan match, Portugal delivered a brilliant all-round performance to defeat Uzbekistan. They took an early lead when Ronaldo scored in the sixth minute. Subsequently, Nuno Mendes scored with a magnificent free-kick, and Ronaldo found the net again to make the score 3-0 before half-time. After the break, Uzbekistan posed hardly any threat. Portugal maintained possession and extended their lead in the 60th minute. The goal came about following a flick by João Félix from a Bruno Fernandes corner, resulting in an own goal. Substitute Rafael Leão eventually scored the fifth goal, sealing a magnificent 5-0 victory.
This result served as a strong response from Portugal, as Ronaldo’s team had faced significant criticism after drawing 1-1 with DR Congo in their opening group-stage match. The win secured three crucial points and strengthened their position in the group, while also improving their goal difference ahead of the final group match.
