João Neves becomes one of Portugal's youngest World Cup scorers. Here's where Ronaldo ranks
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
The 2026 World Cup clash against the Democratic Republic of Congo gave Portuguese fans every reason to be proud of their next generation. The day’s standout in the statistical charts was young midfielder João Neves. By netting his debut World Cup goal, the young playmaker officially etched his name into the annals of Portuguese football history.
Details: According to Stats Foot, with this strike, Neves broke into the top three youngest scorers in the national team’s World Cup history, finding the net at the age of 21 years and 8 months.
In this elite ranking of young sharpshooters, he trails only Gonçalo Ramos, who scored at the World Cup at 21 years and 5 months, and the country’s all-time record holder—legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, who bagged his first World Cup goal at 21 years and 4 months.
As of the 25th minute, Portugal still leads 1-0.
Reminder: Cristiano Ronaldo set a new World Cup record.
