At Houston's NRG Stadium, Portugal delivered the kind of performance that silences doubters. After a disappointing opening draw against DR Congo (1-1), the Seleçao dismantled Uzbekistan 5-0 in Group K, driven by a Cristiano Ronaldo determined to prove his critics wrong. The 41-year-old captain had not scored at a World Cup since 2022, and a vocal section of Portuguese supporters had been calling for his removal from the starting eleven.
Ronaldo ended that debate in the 6th minute, meeting a João Cancelo cross at the near post with a composed right-foot finish. He completed his brace in the 39th minute, latching onto a perfectly weighted Bruno Fernandes through ball and slotting it across the keeper. In between, Nuno Mendes caught Uzbekistan off guard with a direct free-kick (17th), capitalising on Ronaldo's deliberate dummy that froze the wall. A Nematov own goal from a corner (60th) and a Rafael Leão bullet into the top corner (87th) rounded off a commanding display.
The double takes Ronaldo to 10 World Cup goals, a Portuguese all-time record surpassing Eusébio, and makes him the first player in the tournament's history to score at six different editions — from 2006 through to 2026. Portugal top Group K with 4 points and need only a positive result against Colombia on 28 June in Miami to confirm their place in the last 32. Uzbekistan, virtually eliminated, face DR Congo in Atlanta with little left to play for.
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