Cristiano Ronaldo makes history as the first player to net goals in six FIFA World Cups.

Cristiano Ronaldo achieved yet another milestone in his illustrious career on Tuesday, becoming the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments after netting a goal in Portugal’s Group K match against Uzbekistan. The 41-year-old found the net in the sixth minute, connecting with João Cancelo’s cross with a right-footed shot to give Portugal an early advantage. Ronaldo celebrated this landmark goal with his teammates, marking another significant achievement.

The goal also made Ronaldo the second-oldest player to score at a FIFA World Cup, just behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who was 42 when he scored during the 1994 tournament in the United States. This came after Ronaldo faced some criticism for not scoring in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their opening match of the tournament.

Earlier this year, both Ronaldo and Argentina captain Lionel Messi became the first two male players to compete in six editions of the FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo began his World Cup scoring journey in 2006 and has continued to add to his tally in each tournament since, with goals in 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and now 2026.
While he shares the record for the most tournaments with Messi, Ronaldo stands apart by having scored in every edition, as Messi did not find the net at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

With his goal on Tuesday, Ronaldo reached a total of nine goals in World Cup history. Messi holds the record with 18 goals, having scored a hat trick in Argentina’s opener against Algeria and two additional goals on Monday against Austria, making him the all-time leading scorer in the tournament’s history.

Tuesday’s match marked the 230th game of Ronaldo’s international career, the highest in history.

This likely represents Ronaldo’s final World Cup, having won the European Championship with Portugal in 2016 and the Champions League five times with Manchester United and Real Madrid.

(With AP inputs)