"Give me Uzbekistan or I RETIRE!" - Ronaldo trolled by fans after ending World Cup drought with historic brace

Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a statement performance as Portugal cruised to a comprehensive 5-0 victory over debutants Uzbekistan in Group K of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 41-year-old legendary striker netted twice, becoming the first player in history to score in six different World Cups, while silencing some of the pre-match criticism surrounding his form and starting role.

Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 6th minute with a clinical finish assisted by João Cancelo, then added his second just before half-time, slotting home from a Bruno Fernandes through ball in the 39th minute. Nuno Mendes curled in a stunning free-kick on 17 minutes to make it 3-0 at the break.

An own goal by Uzbekistan’s Abduvohid Nematov (60') and a late strike from Rafael Leão (87') completed the rout.

At 41, Ronaldo continues to defy age and expectations. His brace not only ended a personal major-tournament scoring drought but also etched his name deeper into football immortality, with goals in World Cups spanning 2006 to 2026.

Yet, as expected in the polarized world of Ronaldo discourse, the reaction was two-sided.

Fans celebrated the historic achievement and professional performance.

Critics and rival supporters trolled the “Uzbekistan tax,” questioning whether the goals against lower-ranked opposition truly answered doubts about his effectiveness at this level against stronger teams.

The half-time memes were relentless. The viral parody of K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag” and lines like “Give me Uzbekistan or I retire” captured the banter perfectly flooding social media with a mix of praise, memes, and rival fan jabs.

See some reactions from X below:

Ronaldo’s performance provided the perfect hook for both celebration and continued debate heading into tougher tests.

Roberto Martínez is expected to praise the intensity and focus while cautioning that bigger challenges await. Portugal now look like strong contenders to top Group K, with momentum restored and attacking options firing.

For Uzbekistan, the heavy defeat is a tough learning curve in their debut tournament, following an earlier loss to Colombia.

Portugal next face Colombia, who are slated to play DR Congo later tonight, in what could be a group decider.