Back in position! Cristiano Ronaldo defends his dignity with goals, the king of Portugal has never left!

By Shen Mo. "I'm Back!" On June 23, at the NRG Stadium in Houston, a brace-scoring Cristiano Ronaldo twice shouted out the long-suppressed cry—this scene will undoubtedly be included as a classic moment of this World Cup in FIFA's official documentary and be remembered by people around the world.

Scoring goals is the best answer to criticism, "It has always been this way, for 23 years." Ronaldo remains as strong as ever.

In the first round of the World Cup, while other superstars were scoring, Ronaldo was "absent." Although Ibrahimovic believed Ronaldo had never "left," Ronaldo admitted the unprecedented pressure: "It was a tough, dark week, as if I had already retired." The Portuguese team also fell into a crisis of infighting. Besides the "war of words" between fans and players' families, Conceição's statement at the press conference that "there is no obligation or responsibility to pass to Ronaldo; I only pass to those in better positions" exposed the team's long-standing dilemma: Is Ronaldo's presence more about tactical value or symbolic significance?

The torrent of criticism seemed to announce the premature end of the Ronaldo era. This greatest Portuguese star of the past 20 years appeared to have become an obstacle for this talented team, with many voices discussing it.

Undeniably, at 41, Ronaldo's career is nearing its end, but on the 23rd, he proved himself once again.

Although public opinion on Ronaldo is polarized, no one denies his self-discipline, hard work, and his desire for goals and victory. Ronaldo himself knows that as long as he scores and wins, the noise will fade away.

"I often talk to my teammates, telling them that external things cannot be controlled, but you can be yourself. That's what I've always tried to do. I admit it's hard; the criticism is fierce, especially against me... But I've been playing for 24 years, I can handle it. Now, I'm back," Ronaldo said after the match.

Portugal coach Martinez voiced strong support for Ronaldo, emphasizing his value to the team. This week, he shut out external noise and refuted rumors about players' families harming team unity. Tactically, he made changes more favorable to Ronaldo: replacing Bernardo Silva (who is slower) with João Félix, moving Neto to the right wing, placing Félix on the left, and increasing Bruno Fernandes' support for Ronaldo. The reason for the change was simple: Ronaldo and Félix both play for Al-Nassr, and last season Félix achieved a personal peak of 26 goals and 19 assists, making him Ronaldo's best partner from the same club.

And so Ronaldo's goals arrived as expected. In the match against Uzbekistan, just 6 minutes into the game, Cancelo crossed from the right, and Ronaldo rushed to the near post to volley home. In the 17th minute, Ronaldo and Nuno Mendes executed a tactical "deception," with Mendes taking a free kick to extend the lead. In the 39th minute, Bruno Fernandes threaded a through ball to the right side of the box, and Ronaldo scored his second. In the second half, Félix's shot forced Uzbek goalkeeper Nematov to score an own goal, and then substitute Leão sealed the victory, 5-0, giving Portugal a resounding triumph.

With the tactical changes, Ronaldo's statistics were even more impressive: 34 touches, 7 shots with 5 on target, a brace, more active movement, and more connections with teammates. A free-kick combination with Bruno Fernandes nearly gave him a hat trick. Ronaldo (10 goals) surpassed Eusébio (9 goals) to become Portugal's all-time top scorer in World Cup history, and the only player to score in six World Cups. Ending a 10-match goal drought in major tournaments, Ronaldo also became the only player with double-digit goals in both the World Cup and European Championships. At 41 years and 138 days, he broke the record for the oldest player to score a brace in a World Cup match, and became the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history, behind Cameroon's Roger Milla.

But for Ronaldo, scoring is not about records; it's, as he said, "so that you don't forget!"

After the match, opponents and some legends praised Ronaldo.

Uzbekistan coach Cannavaro admitted: "Give him just a little chance and he scores. Ronaldo is still one of the best players in history. I've retired, but he's still playing—hats off to him." Brazilian legend Rivaldo said: "Ronaldo proves age is just a number. I tip my hat to him." Rooney, Ferdinand, Henry, FIFA President Infantino, the Portuguese Football Federation, Juventus, and Al-Nassr all sent congratulations. FIFA, the Ballon d'Or, and Guinness World Records officially published announcements about Ronaldo's six-World-Cup scoring record.

Compared to goals and records, what mattered more to Ronaldo was Portugal's unity. "The team is more important. The players are getting closer to each other. That's what we want. We know that if we play like this, it's hard for others to stop us. I will keep working," he said.

After Ronaldo scored, the entire Portuguese team surrounded him to celebrate. During the match, he had many interactions with teammates. After the game, besides coach Martinez, Bruno Fernandes, Nuno Mendes, and João Félix also praised their captain.

At 41, Ronaldo can still gallop and score on the World Cup stage, once again proving that he still has gas in the tank. The so-called Messi-Ronaldo competition and comparison are no longer important.

After scoring and hugging his teammates, Ronaldo did not forget to perform his trademark "Siuu" celebration, bringing the atmosphere at Houston's NRG Stadium to a climax. The streets of Lisbon were also in celebration mode, with people celebrating not just the goals and victory, but Ronaldo's return: the greatest star in Portuguese football defended his dignity in the most direct way.