Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name further into football history on Tuesday after becoming the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments.
The Portugal captain achieved the milestone by finding the net in his side’s Group K clash against Uzbekistan, extending his unique scoring record across the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups.
The goal also took Ronaldo’s tally for Portugal to 145 goals in 230 international appearances, strengthening his position as the country’s all-time leading scorer and the highest goalscorer in the history of men’s international football.
At 41, Ronaldo is one of only two players, alongside Lionel Messi, to have featured in six FIFA World Cups. However, he is the first to score in all six editions, with Messi having failed to score at the 2010 tournament.
Ronaldo’s strike against Uzbekistan was also his ninth World Cup goal before adding another later in the match to reach 10 World Cup goals, surpassing Portuguese legend Eusébio as his country’s outright top scorer at the tournament.
Ronaldo went on to score twice against Uzbekistan, becoming the oldest player ever to score a brace at a FIFA World Cup. The two goals also took his World Cup tally to 10, making him Portugal’s outright leading scorer in the competition, surpassing Eusébio.
In addition, the brace increased his overall career tally to 975 senior goals, further extending his record as the highest goalscorer in the history of men’s football.
Widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, Ronaldo has enjoyed a record-breaking international career with Portugal, winning the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League titles, while setting numerous scoring and appearance records for his country.
