Portugal beats Uzbekistan 5-0 with a show from Cristiano Ronaldo, who, at 41, breaks historic records in the World Cup
The Portugal team overcame their discreet performance in the first round and secured their inaugural victory in the 2026 World Cup. With a standout performance from Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored two goals, the team beat Uzbekistan 5-0 this Tuesday (23), in a match held in Houston, provisionally taking the lead in Group K.
Striker Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring six minutes into the first half, finishing off a precise cross from João Cancelo. Shortly afterwards, in the 16th minute, Nuno Mendes increased the Portuguese advantage with a beautiful free kick. Before the break, the number 7 again found the net, taking advantage of a pass from Bruno Fernandes. In the final stage, an own goal from Khusanov and a powerful shot from Rafael Leão in the corner sealed the victory.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s first goal in the match, at the age of 41, marked a historic moment: he became the first athlete to find the net in six different editions of the World Cup. With the second goal, the player reached the mark of ten goals in World Cups, surpassing Eusébio, who had nine, as the highest scorer in Portugal’s history in the competition.
The construction of the result started early. João Cancelo advanced from the right and crossed for Cristiano Ronaldo, who finished with precision from inside the area. Then, Nuno Mendes expanded the score with a free kick that found its way to the goal.
Uzbekistan managed to close the gap in the 29th minute, with Aziz Ganiev hitting a shot into the corner following a ball recovery in the attacking half. However, the move was annulled after VAR intervention, which detected a foul by Abbosbek Fayzullaev on João Cancelo at the beginning of the play.
The Portuguese team maintained control of the match and increased their lead again in the 38th minute. Bruno Fernandes found Cristiano Ronaldo on the right side of the area, and the striker finished brilliantly past the goalkeeper, scoring his second goal of the game.
Before the end of the first half, Cristiano Ronaldo was very close to completing a hat-trick. After another cross from João Cancelo, he covered the goalkeeper, but saw Eldor Shomurodov manage to save the ball on the line.
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In the second half of the game, after a well-trained move by Portugal, Khusanov deflected the ball into his own goal in the 14th minute. Rafael Leão then left his mark in the 41st minute, finishing with a powerful shot into the corner, after a cross from Semedo which, with a deflection, arrived in perfect condition for the number 17.
Coach Roberto Martínez made two changes compared to the debut match, which gave greater dynamism to the team’s offensive sector. Rúben Dias entered the defense in place of Tomás Araújo, while João Félix took over Bernardo Silva’s position.
Portugal applied constant pressure to the opponent’s ball from the opening moments, frequently occupying the attacking field and generating more scoring opportunities than they had created against Congo.
Cristiano Ronaldo also stood out for his participation without the ball. On several occasions, he put pressure on goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov and the Uzbek defenders, making it difficult for the Asian team to build plays. In the second half, he even stole a ball in the penalty area, threw a hat at the defender and launched a strong left shot, saved by Nematov.
Uzbekistan, which is participating in its first World Cup, had shown greater competitiveness in the 3-1 defeat to Colombia in the previous round. Against Portugal, however, he faced considerable difficulties in containing the Portuguese offensive and created few chances.
With this impressive result, Portugal reaches the final round of the group stage in a more favorable position. If Colombia beats the Democratic Republic of Congo this Tuesday, a simple draw will be enough for the Europeans to guarantee their qualification.
Portugal will end its participation in the group stage by facing Colombia, while Uzbekistan and Congo will face each other. Both decisive matches are scheduled for next Saturday (27).
