Cristiano Ronaldo warned critics to write him off at their peril after scoring twice to help Portugal thrash Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston. The 41-year-old icon shouted "I'm back, I'm back" into TV cameras, revealing he had been desperate to prove people wrong following a "dark week" after being anonymous in his opening game against DR Congo.
Ronaldo's defiant response to critics
Ronaldo accused critics of retiring him from the game. When asked why he shouted defiance into the cameras, he said: "Just so you don't forget. Just so you don't forget. It was a difficult, dark week. It felt like I was already retired from football, but I held on as I always do because I believe more in hard work than in football. It was difficult, I have to confess, but we're back."
Record-breaking performance
Ronaldo's goals made him the first player to score in six World Cups. He also became the second oldest scorer in tournament history after Roger Milla, while overtaking Eusebio as Portugal's all-time leading scorer at the finals. At 41 years old, he is the oldest player to score in the tournament since Cameroon's Roger Milla in 1994.
Team unity and objectives
Ronaldo dismissed reports of a split in the camp, adding: "I'm very happy, but for me the most important thing is the work the team did, the confidence we had. We took a lot of hits during the week, we knew that would happen. But the team worked very well, we improved a lot. Bad things can turn out good, as they say. Speaking for myself, it's always nice to break records, but my goal is to help the national team achieve its objectives. In this regard, it was to get through the qualifying round. With four points I think we've already done it."
Match details
Portugal's 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in Houston secured their place in the knockout stages with four points from two matches. Ronaldo's brace came after a first-half opener from João Félix, with further goals from Bruno Fernandes and Gonçalo Ramos completing the rout.
