Rio Ferdinand has sent a strong message to Cristiano Ronaldo‘s critics after his brace against Uzbekistan at the FIFA World Cup. He called out the doubts, questioning how they thought a player chasing 1000 goals would not get on the scoresheet.
Speaking in a video posted on social media, Ferdinand heaped praise on Ronaldo for his performance, saying that he has already left this mark on the FIFA World Cup. He pointed at the 41-year-old breaking the long-standing record for most goals by a Portugal player at the tournament and said:
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“Cristiano! My god, this is what he does! Seriously: Cristiano Ronaldo has already left his mark on this World Cup. And you know what? For all the doubters… How can you doubt a man who is on his way to 1,000 goals? Most World Cup goals by a Portuguese player: he has just surpassed Eusebio, the great Eusebio.”
“The only living man to score in six World Cups. To say that this guy is completely finished, that he shouldn’t play, that he is hurting the team, etc… There are not many centre-forwards on the planet who move like that.” (via GOAL)
Comparing the performance to that of Erling Haaland, Ferdinand said that Ronaldo had rolled back the years to deliver for Portugal. He said:
“The timing, the right moment to make a run and then finish like that. And then the second goal: a 41-year-old running behind a centre-back, a young centre-back, in a World Cup, to finish like Haaland. The great Haaland. Let’s enjoy these players. Let’s not criticise them, let’s enjoy them! And I love seeing this. And you know what? For the haters that… they are out there: shut up!”
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace as Portugal eased to a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan. He reached the tally of 10 goals for the country at the tournament, and also became the first to score in six editions of the FIFA World Cup.
What next for Cristiano Ronaldo at the FIFA World Cup?
Cristiano Ronaldo had a lot riding on the Uzbekistan game, as many pundits and fans called for him to be benched. They made bold comments about the 41-year-old after his poor performance against DR Congo in the first FIFA World Cup 2026 match.
The forward will next face Colombia in the final group stage match, knowing that they need a win to finish on top of the group. A loss could see them slip to third, if DR Congo better the goal difference when they face Uzbekistan at the same time.
Edited by Sripad