Ronaldo Becomes Portugal’s All-Time World Cup Scorer, China Reacts

Cristiano Ronaldo became Portugal’s all-time leading scorer at the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, striking twice in a 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan in Houston that also made him the first player ever to find the net at six different editions of the tournament. The brace pushed his World Cup tally to 10 goals, one past Eusébio’s mark of nine, all nine of them famously piled up at the 1966 tournament in England.

Within hours, the record had crossed borders. On Sina Weibo, the hashtag “C. Ronaldo becomes Portugal’s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup” topped the platform’s trending list by Wednesday morning in China, racking up more than 100 million views and 40,000 discussions in the process.

Two Goals in Houston Rewrite Portugal’s Record

Ronaldo needed only six minutes to make history. João Cancelo drove down the right and pulled a cross back to him at the near post, where the 41-year-old dispatched a half-volley past Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov. He ran toward the bench, where his teammates engulfed him.

His second arrived in the 39th minute, a cool finish from a Bruno Fernandes through-ball that took him clear of the Uzbekistan back line. He shot low into the near corner to make it 3-0, the milestone goal that pushed him past Eusébio on Portugal’s all-time World Cup scoring list. Sina Weibo’s reaction and Ronaldo’s full record traced the moment within hours.

How the Goals Happened

Ronaldo’s two-goal salvo was the headline act of a comprehensive Portuguese win.

A free-kick from Nuno Mendes deceived the goalkeeper after Ronaldo had theatrically stepped over the ball. After the break, a Fernandes corner squirmed off two Uzbekistan defenders before crossing the line, recorded as an own goal. Substitute Rafael Leão completed the rout late on.

‘I’m Back’: The Defiant Frame

The two goals landed in the middle of what Ronaldo later called a “dark week.” Portugal had opened the tournament with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo, a result that drew heavy criticism of the captain, who failed to find the net. Lionel Messi had scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening win, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, and Erling Haaland each netted braces for their nations, and Ronaldo’s slow start was held up as evidence of decline.

I’m back! I’m back!

Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s 41-year-old captain, said the words directly into a television camera at full time in Houston. He had scored twice in the opening period to surpass Eusébio’s record and silence a week of public criticism. When asked about the cry afterward, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said it was “only so they don’t forget,” referencing his 23 years in the profession. He closed with a message in Portuguese: “A quem trabalha Deus ajuda,” or “God helps those who work.”

Ronaldo told USA Today the week had been “really tough on us, all the players, for me, for the manager,” but added, “my teammates and I had a good response which is what we wanted.” Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez, who had faced calls to drop his captain after the DR Congo draw, said “Cristiano Ronaldo was a perfect captain, very much focused and made use of his experience because it is not the first time he deals with this situation.” Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro, a 2006 World Cup winner with Italy, summed up the night. “If you give him one centimeter in the box you are dead,” he said of Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s quotes and the second goal sequence frame the moment.

Sina Weibo Sounds Off

Chinese fans had already adopted Ronaldo as one of the most-followed foreign athletes on the country’s social platforms, and Tuesday’s record triggered a wave of national-language commentary. The trending hashtag “C. Ronaldo becomes Portugal’s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup” was the platform’s top topic by Wednesday morning in Beijing.

“What makes a legend is not never falling, but always rising again,” a Weibo user from Sichuan Province wrote. “Stronger and more spectacular each time. Respect to Cristiano Ronaldo, a true embodiment of never giving up.” From Fujian came a different angle, focused on fans in the stands copying Ronaldo’s signature celebration, a sight one user described as “truly moving.”

A Jiangxi Province commenter pointed to the longevity: “The fact that he has played in six World Cups is remarkable in itself.” Chinese-language outlets including CCTV News picked up the “I’m back” moment within hours, and the trend spread beyond sports commentary into broader pop-culture discussion about Ronaldo’s career arc and his long commercial relationship with Chinese platforms, where he has maintained a verified Sina Weibo account since 2016.

• 100 million+ views on the trending Sina Weibo hashtag
• 40,000+ discussions on the topic by Wednesday morning
• 10 World Cup goals for Ronaldo after the brace
• 6 World Cup tournaments in which Ronaldo has now scored
• 145 international goals for Portugal after the brace

At 41 years, 138 days, Ronaldo became the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history, behind only Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who found the net at 42 years, 39 days against Russia in 1994.

The Wider World Cup Records Just Shifted

Ronaldo became the first player in men’s or women’s football to score at six different World Cups. Lionel Messi, Brazil’s Marta, and Canada’s Christine Sinclair had previously shared the record of scoring at five. Ronaldo matches Messi for the most tournaments played, six, but stands alone in having scored at every one. Messi did not find the net at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The Portugal-Uzbekistan result also tightened the men’s all-time World Cup scoring race at the top. Messi’s two-goal Austria display and 18-goal record sits well clear of the field. Miroslav Klose’s previous men’s mark of 16 stood for a decade before Messi swept past it on Monday.

The records Ronaldo flipped in Houston are different from Messi’s, but the timing ties them together. Both men have now played in six World Cups, a feat no other men’s player has matched. Ronaldo made his 24th World Cup appearance against Uzbekistan, leveling Klose and surpassing Maldini at 23, with only Messi (28) and Lothar Matthäus (25) ahead. Portugal will face Colombia on June 28 in its final Group K match, with the winner likely to top the section.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many World Cup goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored?

Ronaldo has reached double digits, with 10 World Cup goals from 2006 through Tuesday’s brace in Houston. He moved past Eusébio’s previous Portuguese mark of nine, which the late striker set entirely at the 1966 tournament.

How old is Cristiano Ronaldo?

Ronaldo turned 41 before the tournament. His brace against Uzbekistan came at 41 years, 138 days, putting him behind only Cameroon’s Roger Milla in the all-time oldest-scorer list.

What did Ronaldo say after the Portugal vs Uzbekistan match?

He delivered the two-word message directly into the broadcast camera. Asked about the cry, he told USA Today the prior week was “really tough on us,” but credited his teammates with a strong response. He signed off in Portuguese: “A quem trabalha Deus ajuda.”

How did Chinese fans react to Ronaldo’s record?

The Sina Weibo hashtag reached over 100 million views and 40,000 discussions by Wednesday morning in Beijing. Users from three provinces publicly praised his longevity.

Who is Portugal’s next opponent at the 2026 World Cup?

Portugal’s final Group K game is set for Sunday, June 28 against Colombia, with the section’s top spot on the line.