‘God helps those who work hard’ - Ronaldo responds to Messi fans claiming he is nowhere near the Argentine

Portugal secured their first win at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan in Group K. 

The Al-Nassr star netted twice in a dominant performance that has put Roberto Martinez's team in a strong position to advance to the knockout rounds.

Ronaldo made history with his brace, becoming the first player to score in six separate World Cup tournaments. 

The stellar performance was a decisive answer to the criticism Ronaldo and his teammates faced after a lacklustre 1-1 draw with DR Congo. 

The result had led many pundits and fans to question whether the veteran forward should still be leading Portugal's attack.

The iconic forward revealed the personal impact of recent media scrutiny, describing the period following Portugal's opening match draw as a "dark week."

"God helps those who work hard. I knew my teammates would help out too," Ronaldo stated after the match. "It was a difficult week, a dark week. It felt like I'd retired from soccer. 

“But I hung in there, as I always do, because I believe in hard work more than anything else. It was tough, I have to admit, but we're back."

Ronaldo acknowledged that he and the national team are frequent targets of criticism, particularly after poor results. "We've improved; that's just how life is. We face setbacks during games and in life, but the main goal is always to improve," he explained. 

"And that's what we did. It was a very tough week, with public opinion being very harsh on all the players, especially on the coach and me."

"But I don't mind," he continued. "I've been in this profession for 23 years now, and whenever things go well, Cristiano is doing great, but when they go badly, Cristiano is retired, he's too old. 

“It will always be like that. But we responded well today. That's what we wanted. We played with a high line, and when we do that, it's hard to stop Portugal.