Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed Lionel Messi to become the oldest player to score multiple goals in a FIFA World Cup match, achieving the milestone with a brace in Portugal's 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their Group K clash on Tuesday at Houston Stadium.
Record-Breaking Performance
At 41 years and 138 days old, according to ESPN Insights, Ronaldo became the oldest player in World Cup history to score more than one goal in a match. He surpassed Messi's previous record set when the Argentine scored twice against Austria at 38 years and 363 days on June 22, 2026. Ronaldo also became the second-oldest player to score at a World Cup, with Cameroon's Roger Milla holding the record at 42 years and 39 days.
Historic Milestones
Ronaldo became Portugal's all-time leading World Cup scorer with 10 goals, moving past Eusebio (9 goals). He also became Portugal's oldest World Cup scorer, while his goal against Iran in 2006 made him the country's youngest at 21. He joins Michael Laudrup (Denmark) and Messi (Argentina) as players who have been both the youngest and oldest scorer for their country at the men's World Cup, according to OptaJoe. The longest gap between a player's first and most recent World Cup goals is shared by Ronaldo and Messi at 20 years and 11 days, per ESPN FC. Ronaldo is also the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments.
Match Details
Portugal dominated from the start, with Ronaldo opening the scoring in the 6th minute. Nuno Mendes added a stunning free-kick, and Ronaldo struck again to make it 3-0 before halftime. After the break, an own goal by Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov following a Joao Felix flick from a Bruno Fernandes corner extended the lead in the 60th minute. Substitute Rafael Leao scored a fifth late on to complete a comprehensive 5-0 victory. The result came after Portugal's 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their opening match, earning them three crucial points and boosting their goal difference.
