Cristiano Ronaldo answers critics with throwback performance in win over Uzbekistan

"I don't know if people are surprised by Cristiano Ronaldo's struggle so far, but it is absolutely nothing new," wrote The Athletic's Oliver Kay.

Fox analyst Thierry Henry pointed to a moment Ronaldo took a congested shot over an apparent easier look from Bruno Fernandes, saying, "The team needs to score, not you need to score. ... Because he wants to score he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes."

Former Serie A champ Kevin-Prince Boateng shared even harsher criticism of Ronaldo on SBS Sport in Australia, saying, "If he would be a real team player, he would step down and let the young players flow."

With fellow global superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland all putting on shows for their national teams, it certainly seemed as though the game may have passed Ronaldo by, but that's harder to believe after Tuesday's historic performance when he became the first player to score in six World Cups.

He began early, scoring on a cross in the sixth minute to give Portugal a 1-0 lead.

In the 39th minute, he scored after chasing the ball down on a breakaway, tapping it past Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov to make it 3-0.

And he could have scored even more if not for multiple near misses.

The timing was barely off on Nuno Mendes' cross inside the box to Ronaldo in the fourth minute, while Nematov got to the ball off a pass just before Ronaldo had a chance for a shot early in the second half.

Portugal pulled out a clever free kick in the 58th minute, with Ronaldo beginning as a decoy then running toward the net as Fernandes lofted the ball to him but was unable to convert as Nematov made another save.

Ronaldo then nearly completed the hat trick with a shot off a turnover inside Uzbekistan's box.

He had one more chance in the 87th minute, and while Ronaldo was unable to score off of Nelson Semedo's cross, the attention he drew gave Rafael Leao open space off a deflection, and he ripped the shot into the net for Portugal's fifth goal.

Ronaldo finished the match with seven total shots, including five on target, announcing his arrival on the 2026 World Cup stage. Whether he can build on Tuesday's performance remains to be seen, but the vintage showing sparks renewed hope in Portugal that it can go on a deep run after reaching the quarters in 2022.

After Tuesday, who are we to doubt?