Ronaldo’s old scoring instincts are back, and Portugal need them

After a frustrating draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo, Portugal finally got the version of Cristiano Ronaldo it wanted in a 2026 World Cup match against Uzbekistan on Tuesday. The 41-year-old became the first player to score in six World Cups, and his brace helped answer criticism that followed his subdued outing in the previous game.

Joao Neves had said after the Congo match that Ronaldo was “one of us,” just another teammate with the same duties. But Portugal’s setup against Uzbekistan was different. The team kept a similar formation on paper, yet the attack changed with Joao Felix replacing Bernardo Silva on the right wing, giving Portugal another attacker to stretch the pitch. In practice, Ronaldo played much higher and more centrally, leaving him with one main job, finish chances.

His first goal came from almost no visible involvement, after a well-worked move on the flank ended with a simple finish near the six-yard box. The second was classic Ronaldo, he burst into space, used his body to shield the ball, and finished a perfect Bruno Fernandes pass. The article compares that instinctive movement to the old Real Madrid version of Ronaldo, a pure box striker who needs only a few sprints to make the difference.

Portugal also created chances from a free kick and a corner, including a move that should have brought a penalty and another that ended in an own goal. The piece notes that Portugal have other scorers, but no one at Ronaldo’s level, and says the team will need him at his best if it wants to go deep in the tournament. Next up is Colombia, which should provide a better test of whether Portugal have found the right formula.