Roger Milla Remains Oldest World Cup Goalscorer Despite Ronaldo's Record
Cristiano Ronaldo has reached a historic milestone by becoming the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup editions. The Portuguese star achieved this feat during a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan, where he scored twice to secure the record.
Despite this achievement, Ronaldo remains the second-oldest player to ever score a goal in a World Cup. At 41 years and 138 days old, he trails the record held by Cameroon forward Roger Milla. Milla set the benchmark when he scored at the 1994 tournament in the United States at the age of 42 years and 39 days.
In the match against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo scored his first goal in the sixth minute following a cross from João Paulo Cancelo. He added a second goal in the 39th minute after receiving a pass from Bruno Fernandes. His performance earned him the man of the match award.
These two goals brought Ronaldo's total World Cup tally to 10, allowing him to surpass the late Eusébio, who had scored nine. This makes Ronaldo the all-time leading scorer for Portugal in the tournament's history.
While Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the only men to have played in six World Cup tournaments, Ronaldo now stands alone in scoring in every single one. Messi failed to score during the 2010 edition in South Africa, though he remains the all-time leading scorer in the tournament's history with 18 goals.
This 2026 appearance marks the 230th international match for Ronaldo, the most by any player in history. Having won the European Championship in 2016 and five Champions League titles, this is expected to be his final World Cup appearance.
