The Rest Is Football

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England struggle in Ghana stalemate and Ronaldo gets off the mark

Explore episode Jun 24, 2026

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Cristiano Ronaldo Scores in His Sixth World Cup at 41

At 25:10 · chapter starts 25:06

The conversation pivots from England's struggles to the most extraordinary individual story of the day: Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 41, scoring twice in Portugal's emphatic 5-0 defeat of Uzbekistan. Gary Lineker opens with a tribute — 'what a mentality monster he is' — and points out that Ronaldo's movement for the first goal was vintage: still the best in the world at finding a yard in the box, even with legs that can now only sprint in short bursts. The second finish was technically brilliant. Lineker then lands the staggering historical fact: Ronaldo has scored in every single one of his six World Cup tournaments, starting with his first in 2006. Joe Cole is full of admiration but poses a practical question for the Portugal coaching staff: can you really play a 41-year-old every minute of a potential eight-game tournament? The panel agrees it's a genuine dilemma — Ronaldo's mentality demands he starts, but his body has finite limits.

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