Ronaldo scores twice as Portugal crush Uzbekistan 5-0 in World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name deeper into football history on Tuesday, scoring twice as Portugal cruised to a 5-0 victory over World Cup debutants Uzbekistan in their Group K match at Houston Stadium. Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 6th minute, converting a right-wing cross from Joao Cancelo. The goal made the 41-year-old the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla (42 in 1994), and the first player ever to score in six different World Cup tournaments. He added his second in the 39th minute, sliding home a brilliant through-ball from Bruno Fernandes, overtaking Eusebio as Portugal’s all-time top scorer in World Cups.

Dominant performance

Portugal doubled their lead in the 17th minute through a Nuno Mendes free-kick, though Uzbekistan had a goal ruled out by VAR in the 29th minute. The fourth goal came in the 60th minute when a corner led to an own goal by Uzbek goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov. Substitute Rafael Leao completed the rout in the 87th minute, firing home from inside the box to make it 5-0. The result moved Portugal to the top of Group K, while Uzbekistan remain without a point in their debut campaign.

Group dynamics

Portugal had drawn 1-1 with DR Congo in their opener, while Uzbekistan lost 3-1 to Colombia, who were runners-up in the 2024 Copa America. Portugal will face Colombia in their final group match, while Uzbekistan will play DR Congo.