Cristiano Ronaldo cemented his legacy further into football history as Portugal bounced back in style, crushing tournament debutants Uzbekistan 5-0 in their second FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage match last night. With this dominant victory, Portugal’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage have received a massive boost, recovering well after being held to a frustrating goalless draw by DR Congo in their tournament opener.
Portugal wasted no time asserting their dominance, with Ronaldo breaking the deadlock in just the sixth minute of the match. Capitalizing on a precise assist from João Cancelo, the captain fired home to put Uzbekistan immediately on the defensive. With this spectacular strike, Ronaldo made history by becoming the first player ever to score in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup.
The Seleção continued their first-half onslaught in the 17th minute when Nuno Mendes doubled the lead with a brilliantly executed free-kick. Ronaldo then struck again in the 39th minute, netting his second of the night and his 10th career World Cup goal. This milestone saw him surpass the legendary Eusébio, who previously held the Portuguese record with 9 World Cup goals.
The second half offered no respite for the trailing side. In the 60th minute, a disastrous own goal by Uzbekistan's Nematov extended Portugal’s lead to 4-0. To wrap up a flawless team performance, substitute Rafael Leão came off the bench to score Portugal’s fifth and final goal in the 87th minute.
This crushing defeat marks the second consecutive loss for Uzbekistan in their maiden World Cup appearance. While Portugal edges closer to the Round of 32, Uzbekistan will now look to play for pride in their final group-stage match against DR Congo.
.
