1 min readUpdated: Jun 23, 2026 10:57 PM IST
Legendary Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo finally ended his goalscoring drought in major tournaments, scoring the opening goal against Uzbekistan to become the first player ever to net in six different FIFA World Cups.
Ronaldo had previously achieved the feat of scoring in five different World Cups after netting against Ghana at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. However, the 41-year-old striker ended a barren run that had seen him go without a goal in his last 10 major tournament appearances, spanning World Cups and European Championships. During that spell, he had attempted 33 shots and amassed an expected goals (xG) tally of 4.5.
This was Ronaldo’s ninth World Cup goal overall, the joint-most by a Portugal player in World Cups, equalling Eusébio’s record.
Since making his debut in 2006, he has now scored in every World Cup he has played in.
Earlier, Argentine great Lionel Messi had become only the second player after Ronaldo to score in five different World Cups when he netted against Algeria.
(More to follow)
