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Cristiano Ronaldo’s international goal drought ended in spectacular fashion on Tuesday afternoon in Houston when he scored twice in the 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan.
The legendary Portuguese forward was in good spirits throughout the game, but a question he was asked during his post-match interview rubbed him the wrong way.
And that involved a comparison with Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
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Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal reacts after the first half during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K match between Portugal and Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium in Houston, Texas on June 23, 2026. (Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images)
Ronaldo was on the podium for his questions with reporters when one of them started discussing Messi. Ronaldo quickly turned away and told another reporter to “Move on”, clearly not wanting to talk about anything related to the man he has been compared to throughout his career.
Tense and awkward would certainly be one way to describe the moment and the other reporters got the memo as no other Messi questions were asked during Ronaldo’s session.
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Before scoring in the sixth minute against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, went 10 games without scoring a goal in a major international tournament for his country. It dated back to November 2022 and things only escalated after a poor performance in a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in Portugal’s first World Cup game.
Meanwhile, Messi made World Cup history in his latest game when he broke Miroslav Klose’s all-time record after scoring two more in this tournament. Messi already has five goals through two games, scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s first win over Algeria before handling Austria.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Lionel Messi of Argentina pose during the official FIFA World Cup 2026 portrait sessions in Kansas City and Palm Beach, Florida, ahead of their final World Cup appearances. (Pat Elmont and Karl Bridgeman/FIFA)
Messi now has 18 World Cup goals in total for his illustrious career, while Ronaldo has 10. However, they are both the only men in history to have played in six World Cups.
It may have been a slower start for Ronaldo in this tournament, but like the other superstars who have been on full display – France’s Kylian Mbappe is closing in on Messi’s goalscoring record, while Erling Haaland can’t stop scoring for Norway – he knew he would emerge sooner rather than later.
“Sooner or later I’ll be there. It’s about continuing the work,” Ronaldo told reporters, according to ESPN. “I really believe that God helps those who work hard. That’s how it’s always been in my career, nothing will change. I’m very happy.”
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the pitch after the first half during the World Cup Group K match between Portugal and Congo in Houston on June 17, 2026. (Karen Warren/AP)
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Ronaldo almost had a hat-trick of his own, with second-half chances not rolling his way. He also opted to give up a free-kick just outside Uzbekistan’s box where Nuno Mendes shocked everyone and took the shot for his first goal of the tournament.
Ronaldo, 41, has been asked by fans if he can still deliver the striking prowess he has always shown, especially on the world stage. That debate was silenced somewhat after this match, but Portugal have a tougher test this Saturday when they face Colombia, where they must win to take Group K. Colombia have defeated DR Congo and Uzbekistan.
