Ronaldo snaps at Messi question after two-goal World Cup display

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal cruised to a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, delivering a vintage performance that quieted many of his critics. He opened the scoring in the sixth minute from a João Cancelo cross and added a second before half-time from a Bruno Fernandes through ball.

In the mixed zone he grew terse when questions turned to Lionel Messi, saying: "I couldn’t care less about others… [Kylian] Mbappe also scored," and shutting down further comparisons with a firm "Next question." The exchange followed a long week in which he felt public opinion had been "very harsh" on him and the coach.

Ronaldo’s night in Houston carried historic milestones: he became the first player to score in six different World Cups, became the oldest player to score multiple goals in a World Cup match at 41 years and 138 days, and moved past Eusebio to become Portugal’s all-time World Cup leading scorer with 10 goals.

Portugal, Houston

cristiano ronaldo, portugal, uzbekistan, world cup, joão cancelo, bruno fernandes, lionel messi, kylian mbappe, houston, eusebio