Cristiano Ronaldo rediscovered his scoring touch with a first-half brace as Portugal overwhelmed Uzbekistan 5-0 on Wednesday to move to the top of Group K and take a major step toward the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Portugal entered the match seeking their first victory of the tournament after being held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their opening fixture. Roberto Martinez’s side responded emphatically, producing a dominant display that left Uzbekistan without an answer and secured three valuable points in Houston.
Ronaldo opened the scoring in the sixth minute to register his first goal of the tournament. The move began with Joao Cancelo driving down the right flank before delivering a low cross into the penalty area. The Portugal captain met it with a powerful right-footed finish that beat the goalkeeper and gave his side an early advantage.
The goal carried historic significance, making Ronaldo the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments.
Portugal doubled their lead in the 17th minute from a free kick just outside the Uzbekistan penalty area. While many expected Ronaldo to take the set piece, Nuno Mendes stepped forward instead and curled a left-footed effort into the net to make it 2-0.
Uzbekistan briefly thought they had found a route back into the match when Azizjon Ganiev struck from long range. However, a VAR review detected a foul in the buildup and the goal was disallowed.
Portugal continued to dominate possession and chances, and Ronaldo struck again six minutes before halftime. Bruno Fernandes threaded a precise through ball into the path of the veteran forward, who calmly guided his finish beyond the goalkeeper to extend the lead to 3-0.
The two-goal performance marked a significant response from Ronaldo after a quiet display against DR Congo, where he failed to score and struggled to influence the attack.
Portugal remained firmly in control after the break and added a fourth goal in the 60th minute. Under pressure inside the penalty area, Uzbekistan defender Abduvohid Nematov inadvertently turned the ball into his own net as Portugal’s relentless pressure continued to create problems for the defense.
Bruno Fernandes came close to adding another goal later in the half, but his effort from inside the area was denied by the Uzbekistan goalkeeper.
The final goal arrived in the 87th minute through Rafael Leao. The AC Milan winger capped the performance with a composed finish after another flowing Portugal attack, completing a five-goal display that underlined the gulf in quality between the two sides.
Portugal saw out the remaining minutes comfortably to secure their first win of the tournament and move to the summit of Group K with four points, one ahead of Colombia.
The result leaves Martinez’s side in a strong position heading into their decisive final group-stage encounter against Colombia, where the winner is likely to claim top spot in the group.
For Uzbekistan, the defeat confirmed the end of their World Cup campaign. Having suffered consecutive losses in their first appearance at the tournament, they can no longer advance to the Round of 32.
Portugal, meanwhile, will take confidence from both the result and the return to form of Ronaldo, whose goals once again proved central to the ambitions of the 2016 European champions as they continue their pursuit of World Cup glory.
