FIFA World Cup 2026: Ronaldo surpasses Eusebio's record for most World Cup goals by a Portugal player

Texas [US], June 24 : Cristiano Ronaldo reached yet another landmark in his remarkable career, becoming Portugal's highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history. The veteran forward's two-goal performance till first-half in the match against Uzbekistan on Tuesday took his World Cup goalscoring tally to 10, taking him ahead of the legendary Eusebio.
Eusebio was one of football's greatest players, best known for leading Portugal to third place at the 1966 FIFA World Cup while finishing as the tournament's top scorer with 9 goals. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1965, helped S.L. Benfica win the European Cup in 1962, claimed 11 Portuguese league titles and five Portuguese Cups with Benfica, won the European Golden Boot twice (1968 and 1973).
Ronaldo surpassed Eusebio's tally of nine goals for Portugal. After Ronaldo and Eusebio, Pauleta ranks third on Portugal's all-time FIFA World Cup scoring chart with four goals to his name.
Ronaldo opened the scoring in the sixth minute, finishing off a flowing Portugal move after Joao Cancelo's surging run and low cross from the right. The goal drew him level with Eusebio on nine FIFA World Cup goals. Portugal doubled their advantage in the 17th minute through Nuno Mendes before Ronaldo struck again in the 39th minute to give Portugal 3-0 lead. Bruno Fernandes' perfectly weighted through ball found the veteran forward on the right side of the box, and Ronaldo calmly slotted his finish past Uzbekistan goalkeeper Utkir Nematov into the bottom-left corner. The brace took his World Cup tally to 10 goals, making him Portugal's outright leading scorer in the tournament's history.
Notably, Ronaldo also etched his name in the record books by becoming the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Ronaldo had already scored in each of the previous five FIFA World Cup editions, and his goal against Uzbekistan made history, as he became the first footballer to score in six different World Cup tournaments. He opened his World Cup goalscoring account in 2006, added another goal in 2010, scored once in 2014, netted four times in 2018, and found the back of the net again in 2022 before extending his remarkable record in the 2026 edition. Ronaldo is also the highest goalscorer in international football history, with 145 goals to his name.
Ronaldo arrived in the Uzbekistan match after enduring a difficult outing in Portugal's 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener, with the veteran striker struggling to make an impact throughout the contest.
The 41-year-old finished the match with 25 touches, attempting three shots without hitting the target, and winning just one duel, underlining how effectively he was contained by the DR Congo defence.
It was also one of the lowest involvement games of his World Cup career, marking the second-fewest touches he has ever recorded in a World Cup start, highlighting his limited influence in Portugal's attacking play.
The frustration added to a growing concern over his form in major tournaments, as Ronaldo had gone 10 consecutive matches without scoring in major competitions, an unwanted streak despite his experience and status on the global stage.