Cristiano Ronaldo Roars After Breaking Bizarre World Cup Record

At 41 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first player to score in an astonishing six different World Cups. He netted the opening goal against Uzbekistan in their second group stage match of this World Cup. He roared with delight after his record-breaking strike, celebrating by sprinting to the Portugal bench and embracing all his teammates. Only then did the iconic 'SIU' celebration emerge.

Frustration was mixed with joy, as Ronaldo had faced a barrage of criticism both domestically and internationally after his performance against Congo in the previous World Cup fixture. Doubts were openly raised about whether Ronaldo was still at his best and if he truly added value to coach Roberto Martinez's squad. By scoring, he temporarily silenced those doubts.

The goal-scoring machine first ignited at the 2006 World Cup, two decades ago, when Ronaldo scored his inaugural World Cup goal against Iran. He then found the net at the 2010 World Cup (against North Korea), the 2014 World Cup (against Ghana), the 2018 World Cup (a hat-trick against Spain and one goal against Morocco), and at the previous World Cup in Qatar against Ghana. His total now stands at 'just' nine World Cup goals, including Tuesday's strike against Uzbekistan.

For comparison, his eternal rival Lionel Messi has scored in 'only' five World Cups, but his tally stands at eighteen goals. Kylian Mbappé already has sixteen, and Harry Kane (10) also significantly outranks the veteran Portuguese star.

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