Cristiano Ronaldo Breaks Messi's Record, Becomes Oldest Player to Score World Cup Brace

Cristiano Ronaldo added another remarkable chapter to his legendary career, becoming the oldest player to score multiple goals in a FIFA World Cup match as Portugal cruised to a dominant 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their Group K clash at the FIFA World Cup 2026. The 41-year-old forward shattered multiple records in a performance that reaffirmed his enduring influence on the world stage.

Oldest Player to Score a World Cup Brace

Ronaldo delivered a vintage display, scoring twice as Portugal secured their first win of the tournament in emphatic fashion. Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao also found the net, while an own goal involving Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov further compounded the Central Asian side's misery.

At 41 years and 138 days old, Ronaldo became the oldest player in FIFA World Cup history to score more than one goal in a match. In doing so, he eclipsed Lionel Messi's previous record, set just a day earlier when the Argentine star scored twice against Austria at the age of 38 years and 363 days.

The Portuguese captain also became the second-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, behind only Cameroonian legend Roger Milla, who scored at the age of 42 years and 39 days.

More Milestones for the Portuguese Icon

Ronaldo's brace saw him become Portugal's all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history with 10 goals, overtaking Eusebio's tally of nine. Pauleta remains third on the list with four goals.

The veteran forward also achieved another unique distinction by becoming both Portugal's youngest and oldest World Cup goalscorer. His first World Cup goal came against Iran in 2006 when he was 21 years old, while his latest strikes against Uzbekistan arrived two decades later.

He now joins Michael Laudrup of Denmark and Lionel Messi of Argentina as the only players to have been both the youngest and oldest scorer for their respective countries at the men's FIFA World Cup.

Adding to the list of milestones, Ronaldo equalled Messi for the longest span between a player's first and most recent World Cup goals, with both legends recording a gap of 20 years and 11 days.

Most significantly, Ronaldo became the first player in football history to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Portugal Respond in Style

Portugal took control of the contest from the outset, with Ronaldo opening the scoring in the sixth minute. Nuno Mendes doubled the lead with a superb free-kick before Ronaldo struck again to make it 3-0 before halftime.

Uzbekistan struggled to create meaningful opportunities after the break as Portugal maintained complete control. An own goal in the 60th minute, following a Joao Felix flick from a Bruno Fernandes corner, extended the advantage before substitute Rafael Leao completed the rout late in the match.

The convincing victory came as a strong response to Portugal's disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their opening group-stage fixture. The three points strengthened Portugal's position in Group K and significantly improved their goal difference heading into their final group match.

(With inputs from ANI)