History Made: Cristiano Ronaldo Becomes First Footballer To Score In Six FIFA World Cups

Cristiano Ronaldo added another line to his long World Cup record on Tuesday, becoming the first footballer to score in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup. The Portugal captain struck in the sixth minute against Uzbekistan in Houston, giving Roberto Martinez’s side an early lead in its Group K fixture.

The goal moved Ronaldo clear of Lionel Messi, with both players having entered the 2026 tournament as the only men to have scored in five World Cup editions. Ronaldo had previously found the net in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. His latest goal extended that streak to 2026.

Ronaldo World Cup record stretches across two decades

Ronaldo’s World Cup scoring run began in Germany in 2006, when he was still an emerging winger in Portugal’s senior team. Twenty years later, he remains central to Portugal’s attack, even as the side has changed generations, coaches and systems around him.

The achievement is rare because World Cup careers are usually short. Even elite players often appear in three or four editions, depending on form, injuries, qualification and squad selection. To score across six tournaments requires longevity, fitness, selection consistency and a continued role near goal.

Ronaldo’s strike against Uzbekistan also placed him among the oldest goalscorers in World Cup history. At 41, he became the second-oldest player to score at the tournament, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who scored at the age of 42 during the 1994 World Cup.

For Portugal, the timing of the goal mattered beyond the record. Martinez’s team had opened its campaign with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo, a result that left little room for a slow start in its second group match. An early Ronaldo goal eased pressure on a side expected to qualify from Group K.

How Ronaldo moved ahead of Messi

Ronaldo and Messi have shared many of football’s modern records, and this was another area where their careers had briefly overlapped. Messi scored in the 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups, taking him to five editions before Ronaldo’s goal in Houston moved the Portuguese forward ahead.

The record also places Ronaldo above several World Cup greats whose scoring careers spanned four editions. Miroslav Klose, the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, netted in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. Pele, Uwe Seeler and others also scored in four different World Cup editions.

Ronaldo’s scoring record across editions is different from the all-time World Cup goals chart. Klose still holds the overall record for most World Cup goals with 16. Ronaldo’s latest landmark is about scoring in the widest spread of tournaments, a measure of endurance as much as finishing ability.