Cristiano Ronaldo added another milestone to his illustrious career on Tuesday, becoming Portugal's all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history. The 41-year-old forward netted twice in the first half against Uzbekistan in Texas, taking his World Cup tally to 10 goals and surpassing the legendary Eusebio's record of nine.
Ronaldo's brace breaks Eusebio's long-standing record
Eusebio, one of football's greatest players, led Portugal to third place at the 1966 FIFA World Cup and finished as the tournament's top scorer with nine goals. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1965, helped Benfica win the European Cup in 1962, and claimed 11 Portuguese league titles and five Portuguese Cups. Ronaldo's two goals in the match against Uzbekistan moved him past that mark, with Pauleta now ranking third on Portugal's all-time World Cup scoring chart with four goals.
Ronaldo opened the scoring in the sixth minute, finishing a flowing move after Joao Cancelo's surging run and low cross from the right. The goal drew him level with Eusebio on nine World Cup goals. Portugal doubled their advantage in the 17th minute through Nuno Mendes before Ronaldo struck again in the 39th minute to give Portugal a 3-0 lead. Bruno Fernandes' perfectly weighted through ball found Ronaldo on the right side of the box, and he calmly slotted his finish past Uzbekistan goalkeeper Utkir Nematov into the bottom-left corner.
First player to score in six World Cups
Ronaldo also etched his name in the record books by becoming the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments. He opened his World Cup goalscoring account in 2006, added another goal in 2010, scored once in 2014, netted four times in 2018, and found the back of the net again in 2022 before extending his remarkable record in the 2026 edition. Ronaldo is also the highest goalscorer in international football history, with 145 goals to his name.
Comeback after difficult opener
Ronaldo arrived in the Uzbekistan match after a difficult outing in Portugal's 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener. The veteran striker struggled to make an impact throughout that contest, finishing with 25 touches, attempting three shots without hitting the target, and winning just one duel. It was one of the lowest involvement games of his World Cup career, marking the second-fewest touches he has ever recorded in a World Cup start. The frustration added to growing concern over his form in major tournaments, as Ronaldo had gone 10 consecutive matches without scoring in major competitions before breaking that drought against Uzbekistan.
