June 23 (THEWILL) — Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name further into football history as Portugal cruised to a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K clash at Houston Stadium on Tuesday.
The Portuguese captain opened the scoring just six minutes into the match, finishing João Cancelo’s low delivery to become the first player ever to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments. At 41, Ronaldo also became the second-oldest goalscorer in men’s World Cup history.
Portugal doubled their advantage in the 17th minute through Nuno Mendes, whose expertly taken free kick curled beyond the Uzbek wall and into the bottom corner.
Uzbekistan briefly thought they had pulled one back when Aziz G’aniev found the net with a spectacular strike, but a VAR review ruled out the effort for a foul in the build-up.
Ronaldo struck again before halftime, calmly converting a one-on-one opportunity after being released by Bruno Fernandes to give Portugal a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break.
The European side maintained complete control after the restart. Ronaldo nearly completed his hat-trick early in the second half, only for defender Abdukodir Khusanov to clear his effort off the goal line.
Portugal’s fourth goal arrived in the 60th minute when Uzbekistan goalkeeper, Utkir Nematov, inadvertently turned a Fernandes corner into his own net.
Substitute Rafael Leão added the finishing touch late in the contest, firing into the top corner to complete a dominant performance and seal Portugal’s biggest win of the tournament so far.
The victory lifts Portugal to the top of Group K, at least temporarily, and marks a strong response after their opening-game draw against DR Congo. For Uzbekistan, the defeat leaves them without a point after two matches and facing an uphill battle to remain in contention for the knockout rounds.
