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Following Lionel Messi’s standout display the previous day, Cristiano Ronaldo once again found himself in the spotlight. His former Manchester United teammate, Roy Keane, offered his analysis of the Portuguese star’s first-half performance, sharing his admiration while highlighting why Ronaldo’s consistency should surprise no one.

Reflecting on two football icons’ achievements, Keane said, “It’s incredible — Messi becomes the man with the most goals in a World Cup, and Ronaldo now becomes the first man to score in six World Cups.”

The former Republic of Ireland captain continued, “Why would you ever doubt him? He’s an absolutely phenomenal player; his statistics speak for themselves.”

Keane went on to praise Ronaldo’s trademark professionalism and drive, stating, “There are no surprises here — no surprises that he would deliver again today. Give him good service and let him linger in the right area, and he’ll finish brilliantly. His confidence is immense, and it’s remarkable what he’s achieved over the past two decades. But you could still see the relief on his face — that tells you how deeply he cares about the game.”

Ronaldo nearly got the chance to take a free-kick that could have completed his second career World Cup hat-trick, but teammate Nuno Mendes stepped up instead. Keane suggested that Ronaldo may have been happy to let him have it.

“Everyone expected Ronaldo to take it,” Keane admitted. “I think I was the only one who thought otherwise — it was clearly better suited to a left-footed player. Ronaldo had already scored, and I think if he hadn’t, he’d have taken it himself. But he let his teammate go for it.”

Keane also commented on the goal that followed, noting, “The goalkeeper was caught flat-footed, probably distracted by Ronaldo’s presence, but the shot had enough power and accuracy to find the net. It wasn’t great goalkeeping — he blinded himself there.”

Summing up the performance, Keane concluded, “Look, he’s obviously not an elite-level goalkeeper — the goalkeeping wasn’t the best — but Portugal are up and running, and that’s what matters.”