Houston, USA – Portugal achieved a resounding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their second group stage match of the 2026 World Cup, securing their first win in the current edition of the tournament.
The match witnessed the brilliance of captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who led his national team to victory after scoring two goals, continuing to make history in the World Cup by breaking new records.
Ronaldo opened the scoring early in the sixth minute after a perfect cross from Joao Cancelo, before Nuno Mendes added the second goal from a direct free kick in the 16th minute.
Ronaldo returned to scoring again before the end of the first half, scoring Portugal’s third goal and his second personally, ending the first half with Portugal leading 3-0.
In the second half, Portugal increased their goal tally after Abdulai Nematov scored an own goal in the 60th minute, before substitute Rafael Leao completed the rout with a superb goal that confirmed Portugal’s complete dominance.
ملخص مباراة البرتغال وأوزبكستان | دور المجموعات – كأس العالم FIFA 2026™#كأس_العالم2026 | #مونديال2026 | #كأس_العالم#FIFAWorldCup2026 | #FIFAWorldCup | #beINWC26 pic.twitter.com/pPVZDJf0Gx
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) June 23, 2026The match had a historic significance for Ronaldo, as he became the first player in World Cup history to score goals in six different editions of the tournament, and he also took the lead in Portugal’s all-time World Cup goalscoring charts with 10 goals.
With this victory, Portugal raised its tally to 4 points, temporarily topping Group Eleven, while Uzbekistan suffered its second consecutive defeat, bringing it closer to an early exit from the tournament.
The Portuguese national team is scheduled to conclude its group stage campaign with a tough match against Colombia, while Uzbekistan will meet the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final round.
