FIFA World Cup 2022: Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first player to score in five World Cups

While the majority of the match between Portugal and Ghana failed to garner excitement from the fans, there was a piece of history that was written when Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opening goal of the match. The former Manchester United man went down in the Ghanaian penalty box a little after the hour mark to earn a spot kick. There were no questions as to who the kick taker would be as the Portuguese skipper stood up to the task and smashed the ball past Lawrence Ati-Zigi. The goal meant that Ronaldo became the first player in history to score at five different world cups.

It also took Ronaldo’s international goal-scoring tally to 118 and his FIFA World Cup tally to eight. The Portuguese captain did put the ball in the back of the net in the first half but it was ruled out as the referee adjudged a foul leading up to the finish. Portugal were quite flat throughout the match. They might have been able to string a few passes together but seemed toothless in the final third.

Ronaldo’s joy was short-lived however as Andre Ayew quickly equalized for the Ghanaians and it was a well deserved equalizer. The two players who scored in the match until that point were involved in the only previous meeting between the two nations at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Andre was shortly substituted after his equalizer by his younger brother Jordan Ayew.