'I thought he never left?' - Zlatan Ibrahimovic mocks Cristiano Ronaldo for sending 'I'm back' message after scoring in sixth World Cup for Portugal

Ibrahimovic questions Ronaldo's declaration

Ronaldo made sure the cameras heard him loud and clear after scoring twice in

However, Ibrahimovic, working as a pundit in the

Historic scoring streak continues

Ronaldo opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a right-footed strike following a Joao Cancelo cross, before adding a second in the 39th minute after being played in by Bruno Fernandes. The brace makes him the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history at 41, trailing only Roger Milla who scored at 42 in 1994.

The goals ensured Ronaldo became the only man to score in six different editions of the tournament, dating back to his debut in 2006. While his long-time rival Lionel Messi has also appeared in six tournaments, the Argentine failed to score in the 2010 edition, leaving Ronaldo as the sole owner of the scoring record. However, Messi currently leads the all-time scoring charts with 18 goals compared to Ronaldo's 10.

The prospect of facing Messi

With Portugal near to securing their spot in the knockout stages, the narrative inevitably shifted toward a potential knockout stage showdown with Messi and Argentina. When asked about the prospect of facing his long-time rival, Ronaldo admitted it would be a special occasion but remained focused on the task at hand.

"I don't know how to answer that. But, well, it would be awesome. The most important thing was winning today and we did it," Ronaldo said.

Chasing glory in the final act

Despite Ibrahimovic’s mockery, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United man remains focused on the collective effort as Portugal look to add a World Cup trophy to their 2016 European Championship title. Portugal are now aiming for a second win to ensure they top Group K with the ambition of beating Colombia in Miami in their final match. Portugal will hope their talisman can continue his scoring form.