World Cup: Lee Dixon Slammed For Exaggerating Cristiano Ronaldo Goal

He joined in April 2024, having previously worked at VAVEL as Deputy Editor-in-Chief, where he produced a variety of content, including pieces from press conferences and games. He also won an award for his role as lead editor for the Women's Football section of the online newspaper.

Covering football all across Europe, he has worked at stadiums such as Anfield, Old Trafford, and Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park, as well as having reported at both the 2023 men's and women's Champions League finals in Eindhoven and Istanbul.

He is infatuated with every aspect of football, but likes other sports as well, being an avid coffee-desperate Buffalo Bills supporter from across the pond and a darts' newbie. Sign in to your GiveMeSport account Those tuning into ITV's coverage of Portugal's 5-0 World Cup victory over Uzbekistan on Tuesday evening have called for one commentator to be taken off-air over "nauseating" comments about Cristiano Ronaldo. Last week, the 41-year-old extended an unwanted run by making it 10 consecutive major international tournament appearances without finding the net.

That sparked fresh debate over whether Portugal might be better off without him, particularly given Roberto Martinez's side are among the favourites to go all the way this summer. Others suggested the Al-Nassr forward was past his sell-by date, but Ronaldo silenced those critics in emphatic fashion this week, producing two goals and an assist to remind everyone of his enduring quality.

After so much attention had been focussed on Lionel Messi following his flying start to Argentina's title defence - with the Argentine leading the Golden Boot race after helping the reigning champions hit the ground running with five goals from two matches - it was finally Ronaldo's turn to steal some of the spotlight and give his fans something to shout about.

Cristiano Ronaldo was back to his best during Portugal's 2026 World Cup clash against Uzbekistan.

During ITV's commentary, Lee Dixon appeared to let his admiration get the better of him. Several of his remarks about the Portuguese star have since sparked backlash from viewers, with some accusing the former Arsenal defender of going overboard in his praise.

His first comment was about Ronaldo's opening goal - where he said everyone in football would have been pleased by the moment - while the second goal produced the overexaggerated suggestion that it could go down as 'one of the best of the tournament'. Reacting to those remarks, one X user questioned:

"Has Lee Dixon been paid by [Cristiano] Ronaldo’s PR team? The love is nauseating."

Another added: "This Ronaldo loving from Lee Dixon is bordering on Piers Morgan levels," as a third wrote: "Dear @ITVSport, everyone that loves football, can you please stop inflicting Lee Dixon on us. Got to be the most awful co-commentator out there. Kind regards, The British Viewing Public."

Elsewhere, Paddy Power aimed fire by posting: "'Everyone who loves football will be pleased he scored that!' Lee Dixon, I can assure you that you're sorely mistaken," while another user concluded: "I thought seeing Ronaldo scoring a brace would be the worst thing about this game but it’s actually Lee Dixon."

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Make no mistake about it, Ronaldo is still performing remarkably well when you consider he is 41. In his most recent outing, he ran the show as Portugal looked more like the team expected to go deep in the 2026 World Cup - but this was also the first time in a while he has looked like his old self.

It is that inconsistency which currently weighs him down, and at times it feels like he is pushing himself beyond his natural limits in the pursuit of relevance. As a result, some have begun to question his place in world football, even though he will remain one of the greatest of all time forever - a reflection of the unusual position he now finds himself in.

Of course, if his performance against Uzbekistan - where he became the only player to score in six different World Cups - proves not to be a one-off, then much of that criticism will quickly fade away. But that is the key now: staying consistent and continuing to work for the team as much as he does for himself.