Ronaldo rose from the ashes on twin wings

Portugal 5–0 Uzbekistan

In his book God Is Round, Mexican writer Juan Villoro wrote that Christiano Ronaldo's hunger for success begins with him and ends with him. Yet, over the past few days, that very man driven by an insatiable appetite for success had become the target of relentless ridicule.

Following Portugal's failure to win their opening World Cup match against DR Congo, the blame was laid squarely on Ronaldo's shoulders. From football pundits to ordinary fans, hardly anyone offered him the slightest leniency.

At 41, Ronaldo was branded "a burden on the team." Cornered by criticism, he responded in the only way he knows how. Against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo rose from the ashes like a phoenix. In Portugal's emphatic 5-0 victory in Houston, he scored twice, reminding everyone that the shoulders once blamed for every failure are still strong enough to carry responsibility—and just as capable of shrugging it off in an instant.

After all, 975 career goals do not appear out of thin air.

Yet these two goals carried an emotion all their own. His celebration after opening the scoring, alongside his teammates, revealed everything. Every expression on his face reflected how desperately he had been waiting to find the net.

These two goals were not merely strikes against the opposition. They were answers to countless questions.

As he shattered multiple records, Ronaldo also delivered a clear message: the word finished simply does not exist in his dictionary. While many had already begun writing the epitaph of his career, he was quietly preparing his response. Every goal, every shot, every determined effort reminded the world why he remains one of football's all-time greats, and why five Ballon d'Or trophies bear his name.

Ronaldo opened the scoring in Houston after just six minutes. Joao Cancelo's cross from the right found the Portuguese captain, who applied his trademark finish. It was his 144th goal for Portugal, and with it he etched another remarkable chapter into football history, becoming the first player ever to score in six different FIFA World Cups. The previous record belonged to Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who has scored in five World Cups.

Nuno Mendes doubled Portugal's lead in the 17th minute with a free kick, but one could argue Ronaldo deserves some of the credit for that goal as well. Uzbekistan conceded simply because of Ronaldo's presence. Seeing him stand over the dead ball in his familiar stance, they never imagined anyone else would take the kick.

Ironically, the Ronaldo so often accused of putting himself above the team was standing there solely for the team's benefit. As the Uzbek defenders remained frozen, watching him expect a trademark free kick, Mendes calmly struck the ball into the net.

Then came Ronaldo's second.

In the 39th minute, Bruno Fernandes found him with a precise pass, and Ronaldo produced another clinical finish to make it 3-0. The goal carried historic significance, taking his World Cup tally for Portugal to 10, surpassing the legendary Eusebio's long-standing national record of nine World Cup goals.

His brace also eclipsed another record previously held by Messi.

When Ronaldo scored his two goals, he was 41 years and 138 days old, making him the oldest player ever to score twice in a single World Cup match. Messi had set the previous mark against Austria at 38 years and 363 days.

Portugal''s fourth goal arrived courtesy of an own goal by Uzbek goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov, before Rafael Leao completed the rout with the fifth.

Ronaldo could easily have completed a hat-trick as well. On several occasions he came agonisingly close, only to be denied.

But Ronaldo can hardly be measured by goals, hat-tricks or records alone.
He has become today's Ronaldo by constantly defying the laws of nature. He has evolved into someone truly extraordinary among human beings. Where the limits of ordinary human ability seem to end, Ronaldo's journey appears only to begin.

So when all accounts are settled, before time finally asks him to fade away, seeing Ronaldo illuminate his final World Cup once more among a constellation of stars felt as inevitable this morning as the sunrise itself.

Only he could produce a moment like this.

Because he is Cristiano Ronaldo.

The man whose thirst for success begins with him—and ends with him.