Cristiano Ronaldo admitted it had been a dark week after answering the critics that claimed he had already retired from football with a brilliant display for Portugal against Uzbekistan at the World Cup this afternoon.Ronaldo came under fire after a largely anonymous performance in the 1-1 draw with DR Congo last week with some pundits even suggesting he should be dropped for this afternoons game.Boss Roberto Martinez stuck with the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star and his decision reaped dividends as Ronaldo scored twice in a 5-0 win that virtually guarantees their place in the round of 32.The first goal saw him become the first man to score in six World Cup finals and his second meant he overtook Eusebio as Portugals leading scorer at the tournament with 10.Ronaldo told Sport TV: I know that whoever works hard, God helps him. It was a tough week, a dark one, it started as if I had retired from football.But I held on as I always hold on because I believe in work more than football. It was tough, I have to admit, but we came back.Im very happy, but the most important thing is the work the team did, the trust we had. We took a lot of beatings during the week, we knew this was going to happen, but the team worked well, we improved a lot.Martinez lifts pressure with big winLike Ronaldo, Martinez had also been under pressure but his team responded superbly.Nuno Mendes was also on target with Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abdouvakhid Nematov credited with an own goal before Rafa Leao came off the bench to add a clinical fifth late on.He said: This was the response we had in the dressing room. There are times when you need a game like the first one in order to grow in the tournament. Today we saw a team with the same attitude and commitment, but with greater maturity because it was no longer the opening match. Im very pleased with the result. Topics Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal National Football Team Uzbekistan National Team Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan: Ronaldo finally turns up at the World Cup with brilliant brace to make history Jon Fisher 23rd June, 2026 WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo silences critics with brilliant goal as veteran Portugal star makes World Cup history Jon Fisher 23rd June, 2026 LIVE Portugal v Uzbekistan: Commentary, updates, goals and stats as Ronaldo follows Messi, Haaland and Mbappe on to centre stage Jon Fisher 23rd June, 2026 Portugal v Uzbekistan: Confirmed line-ups as Ronaldo starts and tries to emulate Messi, Haaland and Mbappe Jon Fisher 23rd June, 2026 Portugal v Uzbekistan: Preview, predicted line-ups and where to watch Nicholas McGee 23rd June, 2026 Cannavaro faces Cristiano Ronaldo: Its not a head-to-head Ben Miller 23rd June, 2026
