Cristiano Ronaldo walked out of a post-match interview after being repeatedly questioned about Lionel Messi's World Cup performances, shortly after scoring twice to become the first male player to score in six global tournaments. The Portuguese star acknowledged the preceding week had been difficult, marked by criticism following his team's opening draw and claims of internal discord.
Ronaldo opened his World Cup account with two goals against Uzbekistan on Wednesday, securing a 5-0 victory for Portugal. These goals elevated him to Portugal's all-time leading World Cup scorer and marked his historic achievement of scoring in a sixth different tournament. This record was previously shared with Messi, who had scored in five tournaments before this one.
Despite his personal milestone, Ronaldo was met with questions referencing Messi's prolific start to the tournament, including a hat-trick in Argentina's opener and two goals in their subsequent match. Ronaldo initially refused to answer a question that mentioned Messi's goals and warned he would end the interview if further questions on the topic were posed. Footage showed Ronaldo departing the interview after a final question about Messi.
"I couldn’t care less about others, Mbappe also scored," Ronaldo stated as he left. He had previously commented on the pressure he and his teammates faced after their 1-1 draw against DR Congo, a result that drew significant criticism and fueled media reports of team division.
Ronaldo's own performance in that opening match was criticized, leading some of his supporters, including his sister Katia Aveiro, to allege a plot to sideline him. However, his brace against Uzbekistan appeared to silence some of his detractors, with Ronaldo shouting "I'm back" to cameras after the match. He described the previous week as "dark" and difficult, stating it felt as though he had "already retired" but that he persevered through hard work.
"God helps those who work hard," Ronaldo said. "It was a difficult, dark week, it felt like I was already retired from football, but I held on as I always do because I believe more in hard work than in football. It was difficult, I have to confess, but we're back."
He emphasized the team's collective effort and renewed confidence after the win. "Very happy, but for me the most important thing is the work the team did, the confidence we had," he added. "We took a lot of hits during the week, we knew that would happen. The team worked very well, we improved a lot."
With his two goals against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo now has 10 World Cup goals and 145 international goals for Portugal. His World Cup scoring record began 20 years ago in 2006 and includes goals in every subsequent tournament. He is now the second-oldest player to score at a World Cup, behind Cameroon's Roger Milla, who scored at age 42 in 1994.