{"id":4545,"date":"2026-06-23T19:15:44","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T19:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/06\/23\/portugals-ronaldo-shakes-off-world-cup-doubters-scores-2-after-sluggish-start\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T19:15:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T19:15:44","slug":"portugals-ronaldo-shakes-off-world-cup-doubters-scores-2-after-sluggish-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=4545","title":{"rendered":"Portugal&#8217;s Ronaldo shakes off World Cup doubters, scores 2 after sluggish start"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"storytitle\">\n<h1>Portugal&#8217;s Ronaldo shakes off World Cup doubters, scores 2 after sluggish start<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORYTITLE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"story-meta\" class=\"story-meta has-byline\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one-inner\">\n<div class=\"dateblock\">\n    <time datetime=\"2026-06-23T14:59:56-04:00\"><br \/>\n            <span class=\"date\">June 23, 2026<\/span><span class=\"time\">2:59 PM ET<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/time>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE-INNER\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"story-meta__two\">\n<div id=\"storybyline\" class=\"storybyline-wrap linkLocation\">\n<div class=\"bucketwrap byline\">\n<div class=\"byline-container--block\">\n<div class=\"byline byline--block byline--has-link\" aria-label=\"Byline\">\n<div class=\"byline__photo\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/7569853\/russell-lewis\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/687x687+0+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F04%2Fd8%2F6ded4cda4a1c8424efa45c4c0bc6%2Frussel-lewis.JPG\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Headshot of Russell Lewis\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/687x687+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F04%2Fd8%2F6ded4cda4a1c8424efa45c4c0bc6%2Frussel-lewis.JPG\" data-format=\"jpeg\"><br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<p class=\"byline__name byline__name--block\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/7569853\/russell-lewis\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n      Russell Lewis<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP BYLINE\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__TWO\" -->\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"STORY-META\" CLASS=\"STORY-META HAS-BYLINE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"storytext\" class=\"storytext storylocation linkLocation\">\n<div id=\"resg-s1-129666\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 2081;--source-height: 1388\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2081x1388+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9d%2Fae%2F1c31f91d4e10978beb7597d0b165%2Fgettyimages-2282965503.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2081x1388+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9d%2Fae%2F1c31f91d4e10978beb7597d0b165%2Fgettyimages-2282965503.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the World Cup match against Uzbekistan in Houston, Texas on Tuesday.\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates scoring his team&#8217;s first goal during the World Cup match against Uzbekistan in Houston on Tuesday.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Michael Steele\/Getty Images<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Michael Steele\/Getty Images<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It did not take long for the questions to surface about the aging star. <\/p>\n<div id=\"resnx-s1-5867692-100\" class=\"bucketwrap internallink insettwocolumn inset2col \">\n<div class=\"bucket img\">\n                  <a class=\"imagewrap\" id=\"featuredStackSquareImagenx-s1-5866649\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/22\/nx-s1-5866649\/2026-world-cup-fifa-lionel-messi-argentina-scoring-record\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/22\/nx-s1-5866649\/2026-world-cup-fifa-lionel-messi-argentina-scoring-record\"}'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2373x2373+312+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F50%2Ff5%2Fda982d7f4e7d9977ced24127dfa3%2Fgettyimages-2282792109.jpg\" data-original=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2373x2373+312+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/100\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F50%2Ff5%2Fda982d7f4e7d9977ced24127dfa3%2Fgettyimages-2282792109.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2373x2373+312+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F50%2Ff5%2Fda982d7f4e7d9977ced24127dfa3%2Fgettyimages-2282792109.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\" class=\"img lazyOnLoad\" alt=\"Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 group match against Austria in Arlington, Texas, on Monday. The goal, his 17th at a World Cup, broke the all-time scoring record for a man.\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a>         <\/p>\n<div class=\"bucketblock\">\n<h3 class=\"slug\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/series\/g-s1-98388\/soccer-edition\">Soccer Edition <\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/22\/nx-s1-5866649\/2026-world-cup-fifa-lionel-messi-argentina-scoring-record\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/22\/nx-s1-5866649\/2026-world-cup-fifa-lionel-messi-argentina-scoring-record\"}'>Magnificent Messi makes history, breaks all-time World Cup scoring record<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETBLOCK\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKET IMG\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"RESNX-S1-5867692-100\" CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP INTERNALLINK INSETTWOCOLUMN INSET2COL \" --><\/p>\n<p>Cristiano Ronaldo was virtually invisible in Portugal&#8217;s opening World Cup match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite playing the entire game last week, he was essentially absent in the 1-1 draw. Gone were his flashes of excellence and otherworldly goalscoring ability.<\/p>\n<p>The whispers about the 41-year-old turned louder. The drumbeat on social media and chatter from television commentators grew: should the team captain limit his minutes? Was he a distraction? Were his teammates deferring to him too much during the game?<\/p>\n<p>As Ronaldo watched his fellow stars dominate at this thrilling tournament \u2014 Argentina&#8217;s Lionel Messi scored a hat trick in his opener, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/22\/nx-s1-5866649\/2026-world-cup-fifa-lionel-messi-argentina-scoring-record\" target=\"_blank\">followed by two goals<\/a> in Argentina&#8217;s second game; France&#8217;s Kylian Mbappe and Norway&#8217;s Erling Haaland have each scored four times \u2014  you could tell his poor performance bothered him.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, as he took the field against Uzbekistan, he looked like the Ronaldo of old. It took <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FOXSports\/status\/2069467529542517179\" target=\"_blank\">all of six minutes<\/a> for Ronaldo to shake off the doubters. Deep inside Uzbekistan&#8217;s penalty area, Ronaldo struck a powerful right-footed volley into the net. He is now the first player (man or woman) to score in six World Cups.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-129669\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 2561;--source-height: 1708\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2561x1708+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcf%2Fab%2F396329a5401382049bdb9db77077%2Fgettyimages-2282965616.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2561x1708+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcf%2Fab%2F396329a5401382049bdb9db77077%2Fgettyimages-2282965616.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates scoring his first of two World Cup goals against Uzbekistan. He becomes the first player to score in six World Cups.\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates scoring his first of two World Cup goals against Uzbekistan. He becomes the first player to score in six World Cups.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Charlotte Wilson\/Getty Images<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Charlotte Wilson\/Getty Images<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>His face showed it all. The worry. The concern. It was all gone. Replaced by relief. A smile. Fist pumps. His teammates mobbed him. The crowd in Houston roared to life.<\/p>\n<p>And he wasn&#8217;t done. <\/p>\n<p>In the 39th minute, he streaked down the field and, with a perfectly-placed pass from Bruno Fernandes, struck it by the Uzbek goalkeeper. Ronaldo&#8217;s second goal of the game. His teammates tried to get him his hat trick, but it was not to be. <\/p>\n<p>Still, Portugal defeated Uzbekistan 5-0. Portugal was back, and so is Ronaldo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/245994525\/fifa-world-cup\">FIFA World Cup<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/127559710\/world-cup\">World Cup<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/132056081\/fifa\">FIFA<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/462706139\/cristiano-ronaldo\">cristiano ronaldo<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/133083377\/portugal\">Portugal<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"TAGS\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"share-tools share-tools--secondary\" aria-label=\"Share tools\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--facebook\"><button class=\"fbStorynx-s1-5867692\" data-share-facebook='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5867692\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"facebook\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Facebook<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--flipboard\"><button class=\"storynx-s1-5867692\" data-share-flipboard='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5867692\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"flipboard\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Flipboard<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--email\"><button class=\"share-tools__email-link\" data-story-id=\"nx-s1-5867692\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"email\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Email<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"SHARE-TOOLS SHARE-TOOLS-SECONDARY\" ARIA-LABEL=\"SHARE TOOLS\" --><br \/>\n<!-- END ID=\"NEWSLETTER-ACQUISITION-CALLOUT-DATA\" DATA-NEWSLETTER=\"{&amp;QUOT;NEWSLETTERID&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;NEWS&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;TITLE&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;UP FIRST&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;MARKETINGHEADER&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;SIGN UP FOR NPR&#039;S UP FIRST NEWSLETTER&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;FREQUENCY&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;EVERY DAY&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;SHORTDESCRIPTION&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;THE STORIES YOU NEED TO START YOUR DAY, HAND-PICKED FOR YOU EVERY WEEKDAY. 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