Not done yet! Cristiano Ronaldo turns back the clock against Uzbekistan

The Portugal star had to sit back and watch as many of the sport's other biggest names each scored multiple goals for their countries at the ongoing tournament. Harry Kane scored twice against Croatia to lead England to victory. Erling Haaland scored back-to-back braces for Norway, and Kylian Mbappé did the same for France.

And, of course, Argentina's Lionel Messi notched an opening-match hat-trick against Algeria and followed that up with two more goals against Austria to leap to the top of the Golden Boot race.

• Read next | Portugal vs. Uzbekistan player ratings: Ageless icon makes his mark

Meanwhile, Ronaldo and Portugal put forth a forgettable performance in their tournament-opening 1-1 draw with DR Congo, with the 41-year-old bearing a lot of criticism for his role in the lacklustre outing.

Ronaldo's role in this Portugal side was questioned well before the World Cup started, and the team's failure to defeat Congo last week only served to amplify those concerns. Fans and pundits alike wondered just how much Ronaldo had left to give, with his lengthy international goal drought coming to the forefront and a lack of clarity about how best to use the aging superstar setting off debates around the globe.

Thierry Henry, a man familiar with putting the ball in the back of the net, publicly called out Ronaldo's motivations when analysing Portugal's opening match for U.S. television, opining that perhaps he is putting his own personal ambitions ahead of the team's

"The team needs to score, not you," Henry said in a monologue that quickly went viral on social media. Henry explained how Ronaldo's movements in the penalty area against Congo actually prevented his Portugal teammates from getting easy goals, leading to the shock result that forced the Portuguese to come out swinging against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

And swing they did, with a renewed Ronaldo leading the line. 

Perhaps it was the criticism from the likes of Henry and others, or perhaps it was having to watch his rival Messi light it up for Argentina, but either way Ronaldo looked like a completely different player against the Uzbeks and Portugal a different side, attacking with purpose from the outset and actually acting like the pre-tournament favourites that they are.

And it all started with Ronaldo, whose right-footed volley in the sixth minute got the Portuguese attack underway. Then in the 39th minute, Ronaldo added a second goal, running onto a teasing through ball from Bruno Fernandes and coolly slotting home.

In the end, Portugal were 5-0 winners and Ronaldo joined the growing club of stars who have scored multiple goals at this World Cup. On top of that, he rewrote history by becoming the first man to score at six World Cups.

Tuesday's victory acted as a course-correction for both Portugal and Ronaldo, after the team and player each had their bona fides questioned. And while there will be much tougher opposition than Uzbekistan, especially with Colombia awaiting on Matchday 3, for at least one day Ronaldo showed that he can still take over a game and be the catalyst for his nation that he's been countless times in the past.

Now the question is whether he can do it again.

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