Houston, June 24 (Hindustan News Service). Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals on Tuesday, leading his team to a one-sided 5–0 victory over Uzbekistan in the FIFA World Cup 2026. With this impressive win, Portugal has moved very close to reaching the knockout stage.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo scored in the sixth minute of the match, making history. He became the first player in world football to score in six different World Cup campaigns. His journey began with the 2006 World Cup.
After scoring, Ronaldo celebrated his famous “Siu” celebration and greeted thousands of spectators present in the stadium.
After that, Nuno Mendes scored in the 17th minute from a free kick to double Portugal’s lead to 2–0. Ronaldo scored his second goal in the 39th minute, putting the team in a strong 3–0 position. With this goal, his total World Cup goals reached 10, the highest by any Portuguese player.
The Uzbekistan team looked under pressure throughout the match. Playing under the guidance of former Italy World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, the team could not match Portugal’s attacking play.
In the first half itself, Portugal scored a fourth goal when during a corner kick the ball deflected off Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov and went into the net, resulting in an own goal.
In the second half, Portugal maintained pressure and Rafael Leão scored a brilliant goal in the 87th minute to make it 5–0.
After the match, Ronaldo said: “I am very happy. But for me, the most important thing is the team’s performance and our confidence. The team played brilliantly and improved a lot compared to the previous match. Personal records are nice, but my goal is always to help the national team achieve its objectives.”
Portugal had drawn 1–1 in a disappointing match against the Democratic Republic of Congo in their first game, but with this win they have made a strong comeback.
Now Portugal’s final group match will be against Colombia on Saturday. Colombia had defeated Uzbekistan 3–1 in their opening match.
Brief score:
Portugal 5–0 Uzbekistan
(Cristiano Ronaldo 2, Nuno Mendes 1, own goal 1, Rafael Leão 1)
