Cristiano Ronaldo silenced his doubters with a brilliant brace against Uzbekistan, scoring twice in Portugal's 5-0 World Cup win. He looked much sharper inside the box than he did against DR Congo, finding the right positions and finishing with the composure that has been his trademark throughout his career.
Ronaldo's goals brought visible relief for the Portugal captain, who had been under pressure to prove he could still deliver on the biggest stage. As the final whistle blew, Ronaldo had a simple but powerful message for everyone watching: 'I'm back.'
However, Zlatan Ibrahimovic felt there was no need for such a declaration, questioning why Ronaldo felt the need to announce his return. 'It was a game to score,' Ibrahimovic said. 'It was a game for Portugal to score a lot of goals. And his message, I thought he never left. I don't know why he says 'I'm back''.
Ronaldo added another chapter to his remarkable World Cup legacy with his brace against Uzbekistan, rewriting the history books once again. At 41, the Portugal captain became the second-oldest player to score in the tournament, behind only Cameroon legend Roger Milla.
His two goals also took Ronaldo's World Cup tally to 10, moving him past Portugal icon Eusebio's nine goals to become his country's leading scorer in the competition. While Lionel Messi has moved ahead as the tournament's all-time leading scorer with 18 goals, Ronaldo continues to build his own legacy.
Portugal coach Roberto Martínez raved about the professionalism and poise Ronaldo showed this week amid calls from outsiders to bench him. 'He's a human being,' Martínez said. 'He's allowed to have emotions. He's allowed to have feelings. 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.'
