Houston: Cristiano Ronaldo delivered another historic performance as Portugal defeated Uzbekistan 5-0 in their second Group K match at the FIFA World Cup. The victory moved Portugal to the top of the group and marked an important response after their opening draw against DR Congo.
The Portugal captain opened the scoring in the sixth minute, making history by becoming the first footballer to score in six different World Cup tournaments. Ronaldo met a cross from Joao Cancelo and guided a low half-volley into the net to give his side an early advantage.
The goal also placed Cristiano Ronaldo among the oldest scorers in World Cup history. At 41 years old, Ronaldo became the second oldest player to score at the tournament, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who scored at the age of 42 during the 1994 World Cup.
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VAMOS JUNTOS! VAMOS POR MAIS! 💪#PORUZB | 5-0 | #VaiDarPortugal #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/3Xd3G2IaRo
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) June 23, 2026
Portugal quickly took control of the match and doubled their lead in the 17th minute when Nuno Mendes scored directly from a low free-kick. Uzbekistan briefly thought they had reduced the deficit through Aziz G’aniev, but the goal was ruled out after a foul was detected during the build-up.
Ronaldo added his second goal before half-time after Bruno Fernandes won possession and provided a perfectly weighted pass. The veteran forward calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner to give Portugal a commanding three-goal advantage heading into the break.
Portugal continued to dominate in the second half. Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov scored an own goal while attempting to deal with a corner, before substitute Rafael Leao completed the scoring with a powerful late finish. The victory strengthened Portugal’s position in Group K and highlighted the continuing influence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who now has 10 World Cup goals across six tournaments.
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