Record-breaker Ronaldo fires Portugal to emphatic victory against Uzbekistan
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first footballer to score in six different World Cups, netting twice as Portugal secured their first victory in Group K with a commanding 5-0 win over Uzbekistan.
Following strong tournament starts from Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland, Ronaldo delivered a standout performance of his own. Portugal entered the match after a disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their opener, but the veteran forward helped put them on course for the knockout stages.
Ronaldo struck on either side of an excellent Nuno Mendes free-kick, while an own goal by Abduvokhid Nematov and a late effort from substitute Rafael Leao completed the rout. The Portuguese captain also created several opportunities for himself but was unable to complete a hat-trick.
With pre-match discussions focused heavily on his place in the side, Ronaldo responded emphatically. After threatening early alongside Bruno Fernandes, he opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Pedro Neto’s skill on the right set up Joao Cancelo, whose cut-back found Ronaldo at the near post, allowing him to fire home first time.
Portugal doubled their advantage in the 17th minute. Following a foul on Neto just outside the penalty area, Ronaldo appeared set to take the free-kick. Instead, he acted as a decoy, allowing Mendes to curl a low strike into the far corner.
Uzbekistan briefly thought they had pulled one back through Aziz G’aniev, but a VAR review ruled the goal out after Abbosbek Fayzullaev was judged to have fouled Cancelo earlier in the move. Portugal quickly capitalised, with Fernandes threading a perfectly weighted pass through the middle for Ronaldo, who calmly finished into the far corner.
The forward nearly completed a first-half treble when Abdukodir Khusanov cleared his looping effort off the line. Joao Felix also squandered chances before and after the break.
Ronaldo remained dangerous after halftime, forcing Nematov into a save following a rehearsed free-kick routine. Portugal soon made it 4-0 from the resulting corner, as Fernandes’ delivery deflected off both Khusanov and Nematov before crossing the line.
Another opportunity arrived for Ronaldo after Uzbekistan gifted possession away, but Nematov denied him once more. Portugal eventually added a fifth in the 87th minute when Nelson Semedo’s cross was only partially cleared, allowing Rafael Leao to smash an unstoppable finish into the top-left corner.
Ronaldo silences doubters with clinical display
Ronaldo’s performances invariably attract attention, and with Messi (five goals), Mbappe and Haaland (four each) impressing across the opening rounds of the tournament, questions surrounding his role for Portugal had intensified.
The 41-year-old answered those doubts in style. His opening goal ensured he had scored in six straight World Cup tournaments — 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 — while his second saw him surpass Eusebio as Portugal’s leading scorer at World Cup finals with 10 goals.
At 41 years and 138 days, Ronaldo became the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history, behind only Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who scored at 42 years and 39 days against Russia in 1994.
He also joined Michael Laudrup and Messi as only the third player to be both his nation’s youngest and oldest World Cup goalscorer among countries with multiple scorers.
Ronaldo’s influence extended beyond his goals. By stepping aside at a key free-kick, he allowed Mendes to exploit space around the wall and score, making Mendes just the second Portuguese player to net directly from a World Cup free-kick after Ronaldo’s strike against Spain in 2018.
Portugal’s superiority was reflected in the statistics. They finished with 17 shots and 2.41 expected goals (xG), while Uzbekistan managed only seven shots and 0.25 xG, underlining the gulf between the two sides.
