Cristiano Ronaldo Claps Back at Critics, Shuts Down Messi Question After 2 Goals in World Cup Win

Cristiano Ronaldo had gone 10 games without a goal at the World Cup or Euros, dating back to the opening match at Qatar 2022, before he finally bagged a brace in Portugal's 5-0 win over Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Suffice to say, Ronaldo had a message for the haters.

"They said I should retire... but I am here," he said after the match. "The noise from outside is always like this, but we can't control it. We keep going and we are united."

Ronaldo's brace came in the first half, making him the first player to ever score in six different World Cups:

He also played the role of decoy in Portugal's second goal:

And he had a few golden chances to claim a hat trick, though couldn't quite get them across the line:

Portugal's opening match of the World Cup was a disappointment, a 1-1 draw with Congo DR in which Ronaldo had very little impact. That performance led to a renewed call from many outsiders that Portugal would be better served with Ronaldo coming off the bench.

But both Ronaldo and Portugal showed resilience on Tuesday.

"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," Ronaldo noted. "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."

No, Uzbekistan aren't the most stout of opponents, currently sitting at 58th in FIFA's world rankings. They've now been outscored 8-1 in two game's during this World Cup (though drawing Colombia and Portugal in Group K didn't do them many favors).

But that's no matter to Portugal, who can only play the team in front of them. Getting Ronaldo off the schneid is certainly a good sign for their aspirations of claiming a first-ever World Cup title.