Doha (Qatar (AP): Another game, another personal milestone.

For all the turmoil that has surrounded Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of what is likely to be his final World Cup, the Portugal great continues make his mark.

On Thursday he became the first man to score in five World Cups. Earlier this season he registered the 700th club goal of his career.

Not bad for a 37-year-old, who doesn't know where he will be playing beyond Qatar after having his Manchester United contract terminated in the wake of his incendiary interview criticizing manager Erik ten Hag and the club's owners.

A win against Uruguay on Monday would secure Portugal's qualification from Group H to the knockout stages with a game to spare after its opening 3-2 win against Ghana.

"This is just the beginning," Ronaldo said in an Instagram post, adding that "there are no impossibilities."

But if soccer's ultimate numbers man is to achieve his ambition of lifting the one major trophy that eludes him, he cannot do it by himself.

That much was clear against Ghana, when Portugal also needed goals from Joao Felix and Rafael Leao to hold on for victory.

Felix is the likeliest heir to Ronaldo's throne as Portugal's inspiration-in-chief and has even been linked with a potential move to United.

If Qatar is Ronaldo's last World Cup dance, the moves are not quite as fluid as they once were.

His goal against Ghana came from the penalty spot, rather than a moment of the type of individual brilliance on which his career has been built.

That being said, FIFA Technical Study Group member Sunday Oliseh still described as "total genius" his ability to win a disputed foul from Mohammed Salisu that Ghana coach Otto Addo insisted should not have been awarded.

Ronaldo's celebrations suggested he does not care where the goals come from, so long as they keep on coming. But Portugal cannot solely rely on such moments and amid the noise that surrounds its most celebrated player, it can be forgotten how much talent coach Fernando Santos has at his disposal.

Not least Atletico Madrid forward Felix, United midfielder Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva of Manchester City.

"A selection with the quality of ours has to be favorite in any game," said Portugal forward Goncalo Ramos ahead of Uruguay at the Lusail Stadium. "It's important to win the second game now."

Uruguay drew 0-0 with South Korea in its first game of the tournament.

Like Portugal, Uruguay is blending the old and the new. Ronaldo's long-time rival from their time at Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, Luis Suarez, is in an attack that also features the country's new generation of talent in Darwin Nunez and Facundo Pellistri.

At 35, Suarez is no longer the force he once was and he was substituted just after the hour against South Korea. Another 35-year-old in Edinson Cavani replaced him, but Uruguay still couldn't find a goal.

Ghana exposed vulnerabilities in Portugal's defense but Uruguay will need to be much more clinical if it is to capitalise on Monday.

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Baghdad, Feb 25 (AP): Former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, known for promoting the rule of law, returned to Baghdad Tuesday for the first time in more than two years despite ongoing security threats.

In 2021, he survived an assassination attempt in which two armed drones targeted his residence in Baghdad's Green Zone area. The attack came at a time of tensions sparked by the refusal of Iran-backed militias to accept parliamentary election results.

Al-Kadhimi left Iraq after his term as prime minister ended in 2022 and has been living in London and the United Arab Emirates.

The former prime minister did not immediately make any public statements upon his return.

Three officials with his office who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly said security threats against the former prime minister were still present. They said he had returned at the invitation of current Iraqi political leaders who hoped he could use his connections to help them confront a worsening economic crisis that threatens the country's stability.

Al-Kadhimi has good relations with the United States and Saudi Arabia. Iraq is currently looking to strengthen ties with both countries, particularly as regional upheavals over the past year have left Iran in a weakened position.

During his term, Baghdad hosted a series of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which helped pave the way for the regional rivals to formally restore diplomatic ties in 2023 after a seven-year rift. He was Iraq's former intelligence chief before becoming prime minister in 2020 following mass anti-government protests that toppled the previous cabinet.

Iraq is also set to hold parliamentary elections later this year, raising the possibility that al-Kadhimi might be preparing to attempt a political come-back.