During the post-match interview in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, Ronaldo received many questions in Spanish in three minutes. In the initial exchanges, he was asked what he thought about the possibility of competing against Lionel Messi in a World Cup matchup.
“I don’t know how to answer that,” Ronaldo said, as quoted by ESPN. “But, well, it would be awesome.”
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his goal during the 2026 World Cup Group K match with Uzbekistan in Houston, U.S. on June 23, 2026. Photo by AP |
The atmosphere shifted during the final question of the session. A reporter introduced himself as being from Porto and Ronaldo asked if he was going to speak in Spanish.
The reporter confirmed and then began his question: “Yesterday Lionel Messi scored two goals, and Mbappe…”
Before the question could be finished, the Portugal captain immediately turned away and moved to the next reporter, simply stating: “Go ahead.”
When the following journalist expressed surprise at being singled out, the 41-year-old superstar added: “It depends on your question. If it’s good, then there’s no problem.”
The reporter then asked: “This World Cup is full of stars. Messi showed up, Mbappé showed up, and now Cristiano has shown he’s here too. Portugal and Cristiano have arrived. How do you feel about that?”
Ronaldo offered a confident response: “I always arrive. Sometimes others arrive later, but I’m always there.”
In a subsequent response, Ronaldo emphasized that his mind was completely focused on the team’s goals. Following the emphatic victory, Portugal sit on four points after two matches and are in a strong position to qualify ahead of their final group stage match against Colombia.
The win against Uzbekistan served as Ronaldo’s response to the heavy criticism he faced after the opening match. During Portugal’s 1-1 draw against DR Congo, he struggled to make an impact and failed to score, leading some to suggest that manager Roberto Martinez should consider benching the veteran striker.
However, in just six minutes on the pitch in Houston, Ronaldo silenced the doubts. Latching onto a low cross from Joao Cancelo down the right flank, he cut across the near post and opened the scoring with a good finish.
Later in the first half, the Portuguese striker completed his brace by beating the offside trap and finishing calmly from a perfectly weighted pass from Bruno Fernandes.
Rewriting the history books
With his opening goal, Ronaldo became the first player in football history to score in six consecutive World Cup tournaments. He also stands as the second-oldest player to score in the competition, at 41 years and 138 days old, trailing only Cameroon’s Roger Milla.
His two goals on the night took his overall World Cup tally to 10, officially surpassing Eusebio’s national record of nine goals, which had stood untouched since 1966.
Ronaldo admitted the past week was incredibly challenging for the entire squad, especially given the fierce reactions from the media and fans.
“We have improved and that is the most important thing. This has been a very difficult week,” he noted. “The public has been very harsh on us, on all the players and especially the coach.”
The striker reflected on the mixed reviews he has faced throughout his more than two decades at the pinnacle of top-level football.
“That’s football. For me, for the coach, it’s always like this,” he added. “I’ve been a professional for 23 years. When things go well, Cristiano is great. When things go bad, Cristiano is old, finished. That’s how it is.
“But the best response is on the pitch. My teammates were in great positions today, and scoring five goals in football today is very difficult. I’m very happy. Now we rest and move on to the next game.”
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