World Cup 2026: Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first man to score a goal in six World Cups

With history on the line, Cristiano Ronaldo had a tepid first game at the 2026 World Cup. All he needed was one goal, and Ronaldo would become the first man to score in six World Cups. It didn't come in his first game, where Ronaldo was held scoreless in a 1-1 draw against Congo DR. He didn't keep his fans waiting too long to accomplish that feat, though. Early in Tuesday’s game against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo officially set that record, scoring a goal in the fifth minute of the match to give Portugal a 1-0 lead. CRISTIANO RONALDO SCORES HIS FIRST GOAL IN THE 2026 WORLD CUP! #PORUZB #VaiDarPortugal #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/EpXVobdG1a — StatPad Football📊📈📉 (@StatPadFootball) June 23, 2026 Ronaldo, 41, has set a number of records across his many years with Portugal. He already holds the most appearances and goals for a player with a men's national team. Entering the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo had 228 appearances — and counting — with Portugal. He's scored a record 143 goals with the team. His time at the World Cup — as you might expect — has been similarly impressive. Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup stats Here's how Ronaldo has performed at each of his six World Cups: 2006 • Goals: 1 • Assists: 0 • Minutes played: 482 • Results: Portugal went 4-1-2 over seven games, finishing in fourth place 2010 • Goals: 1 • Assists: 1 • Minutes played: 360 • Results: Portugal went 1-2-1 in four games, losing in the Round of 16 2014 • Goals: 1 • Assists: 1 • Minutes played: 270 • Results: Portugal went 1-1-1 in three games and lost in the group stage 2018 • Goals: 4 • Assists: 0 • Minutes played: 360 • Results: Portugal went 1-2-1 in four games, losing in the Round of 16 2022 • Goals: 1 • Assists: 0 • Minutes played: 290 • Results: Portugal went 3-0-2 in five games, losing in the quarterfinals 2026* • Goals: 1 • Assists: 0 • Minutes played: 90 • Results: Portugal is 0-1-0 so far *2026 stats through June 22 Lionel Messi has also shined at historic 2026 World Cup It's already been an historic World Cup. During Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria, Lionel Messi became the all-time leading goal scorer at the event. He has scored 18 goals — and counting — at his six World Cups. While Messi, like Ronaldo, has appeared in six different World Cups, he did not score a goal for Argentina in 2010, paving the way for Ronaldo to claim the record by scoring in six different World Cups. Ronaldo has some work to do if he wants to move up the all-time goal rankings at the World Cup. He entered the 2026 World Cup with eight goals under his belt. At least three other players — Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane — all entered the event with more World Cup goals than Ronaldo.