Ronaldo underlines legacy, importance to Portugal with brace vs. Uzbekistan - ESPN

HOUSTON — Why does Cristiano Ronaldo still start for Portugal? Here, in Houston, was your answer.

In a FIFA World Cup defined so far by big names — with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland leading the race for the Golden Boot — Ronaldo has now joined the party, scoring twice in Portugal's 5-0 Group K win over Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

«I'm back! I'm back!» he shouted, in English, looking straight down the camera, at full time. A message had been sent, and Ronaldo wanted to make it absolutely clear.

He was the only truly global superstar missing. No longer. At 41, with his career surely approaching its end, Ronaldo's limitations are sometimes painfully obvious. But on a day like this, so too are his enduring strengths.

And whether you like him or not — reactions to Ronaldo have always been extreme — it's hard not to be impressed and even moved by his relentless commitment and dedication to doing one thing, over and over again: scoring goals.

It's the one thing that has always defined Ronaldo. No other player has scored at six World Cups. He has 10 World Cup goals in total, and he is now both the youngest and oldest player to score for Portugal in the competition.

But going into Tuesday's game, even that gift looked to have deserted him, at least at this level, when it really matters, in international tournaments, on the global stage, where he believes he still belongs.

Almost 3½ years had passed since his last international tournament goal, at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Ten long matches followed, including the entirety of a barren Euro 2024.

Portugal's World Cup opener against Congo DR last week had looked like the belated confirmation of the end of an era. There, Ronaldo touched the ball 25 times and had three