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HOUSTON — A similar scene had unfolded dozens of times over the last two decades, but for a few brief days of the 2026 World Cup, doubt threatened to obscure history — until, on Tuesday, June 23, a ball left Cristiano Ronaldo's foot and nestled into the net. The Portugal captain ran to the corner flag unburdened and reminded World Cup observers that he’s not done yet.Following Ronaldo's second goal against Uzbekistan, he jumped into the air as fans joined in his signature, "Siuuu" celebration. After hugging his teammates, Ronaldo turned back to the crowd with a smile and roared a declaration."I'm back! I'm back!" he said.When the final whistle blew on Portugal’s 5-0 win against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo looked directly into the camera and repeated the same rallying cry: “I’m back!”“I can tell you it was a very hard week, a difficult week,” Ronaldo said later after he was awarded player of the match. “It was a week in public opinion that was really tough on us, all the players, for me, for the manager. But it’s all good. I’ve been in this profession 23 years and when things go well, Cristiano is good. When they go badly, it’s, ‘He’s old.’ It’s always like that, but my teammates and I had a good response which is what we wanted.”Portugal and Ronaldo returned to Houston under mounting pressure to bounce back from a lackluster opening draw played in the same stadium against Congo, a result which had them in third place in the group standings entering Tuesday’s game.It took Ronaldo less than 40 minutes to bag a brace, scoring a first-touch shot in the box and then coolly slotting home a second goal on a through ball.His goal celebration was a cathartic release for the 41-year-old who is still chasing the one trophy that has eluded him so far in his illustrious career.“He’s a human being. I think he’s allowed to have emotions, he’s allowed to have feelings,” Portugal coach Roberto Martínez said. “I think what is impressive with him is the answer. Whatever he feels, the answer is to get back on the training ground and practice and work and demand from himself. And that, professionally, is what has given him the longevity.”Ronaldo’s supporters arrived hours before kickoff, chanting his name in singsong outside the stadium. He took the field surrounded by walls of CR7 jerseys, worn by people hoping to get a glimpse of a fading supernova’s highly anticipated final act.Ronaldo quickly proved that his star is not yet extinguished. In the sixth minute, he connected with João Cancelo’s bouncing cross and rifled a half volley inside at the near post. Ronaldo ran immediately to the Portugal dugout, where he was engulfed by ecstatic teammates. “We knew very well that where we go with Cristiano, a lot of people come with us,” Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes said. “He attracts a lot of attention and has a lot of fans. There are a lot of people who don’t know about Portugal but because of him want Portugal to win, too. That brings us more energy and is good for us.”Twenty years and six days had passed since Ronaldo fell to his knees after scoring his first career World Cup goal on a penalty kick against Iran in 2006, seven years before he debuted his now infamous celebration.Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro won the 2006 World Cup with Italy and is regarded as one of the best defenders of all time. Before he retired in 2011, he played against Ronaldo many times.“As a defender you need to be very smart to be close to him because if you give him one centimeter in the box, you are dead,” Cannavaro said. “I told him, ‘Maybe you can do more years and not retire, enjoy football.’ Because if you still look like that, why not carry on like that?”The fountain of youth could have been credited with an assist in a vintage Ronaldo performance. Ronaldo was responsible for seven of Portugal’s 17 attempts on goal, placing five shots on target. He finished the game with 1.33 expected goals, the highest of any player on the field.A goal-line clearance in first-half stoppage time and two second-half saves denied Ronaldo a third goal and his hunt to match Lionel Messi’s hat trick accomplished earlier in the tournament.Ronaldo left the field on Tuesday as the only man to score in six World Cups and as Portugal’s all-time leading World Cup goal-scorer with 10 goals. But the second question Ronaldo was asked in the mixed zone after the game was about potentially playing Messi, now the men’s World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 18 goals, in the quarterfinals.“Well, I don’t know what to answer you because it’s a question that’s a bit - it doesn’t make sense,” Ronaldo replied. “It’d be top. The most important thing is to win to get out of the group and be ready for what’s to come.”The moment underscored an inescapable truth: For many, Ronaldo’s career will always be framed through the lens of his rivalry with Messi.“I believe that both players made history in football. They improved football and the rivalry is important for them to grow as players as well,” Martínez said. “What I can say is that our captain is an icon of course, playing in his sixth World Cup, but he’s also an individual player and a player who is actually a role model that plays for the Portuguese national team, who works hard every day and tries to improve every training session.”Martínez steadfastly trumpeted Ronaldo’s experience and attitude as an asset for Portugal. And on Tuesday, the Portugal coach credited Ronaldo and the team’s other experienced players – among them Fernandes, Cancelo and Bernardo Silva – with channeling positivity and calming the group.Another of Portugal’s defining moments against Uzbekistan resulted from a moment of unselfishness by the captain. In the 17th minute, Portugal won a free kick and fans began chanting Ronaldo’s name as he lined up near the ball. But Ronaldo was just the decoy for Nuno Mendes, who blasted a shot into the back of the net for Portugal’s second goal.Ronaldo thrust his fist in the air and spun around in celebration, then ran back to the center circle tapping his fingers to his temple. When the noise was at its loudest, cool heads prevailed for Portugal.After the game, Ronaldo posted another declaration on social media site X. “ESTAMOS AQUI!” he wrote in Spanish. We’re here.
