TEXAS – Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to power Portugal to its first win of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, leading a ruthless 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan on Tuesday night (Wednesday in the Philippines) at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, as the Portuguese rebounded emphatically from an opening-match draw and reignited their campaign.
Ronaldo delivered a captain’s performance, striking once in each half-hour period before Portugal completed the rout with three more goals to secure a dominant victory and valuable three points in the group stage.
The emphatic result helped Portugal bounce back from a disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo in its tournament opener and restored momentum for Roberto Martinez’s side.
Ronaldo, who had faced scrutiny following the opening match, wasted little time silencing critics. The Portuguese captain opened the scoring in the sixth minute after connecting on a pass from Joao Cancelo and firing past the goalkeeper.
Portugal doubled its advantage in the 17th minute through Nuno Mendes, whose strike from a free-kick sequence left Uzbekistan’s defense flat-footed.
Uzbekistan thought it had pulled one back before halftime when Azizjon Ganiev found the net with a long-range effort, but the goal was ruled out after a foul was detected in the buildup.
Ronaldo struck again before the break, finishing a perfectly weighted through ball from Bruno Fernandes to hand Portugal a commanding 3-0 halftime cushion.
The 41-year-old remained dangerous throughout the second half and nearly completed a hat trick, but Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov produced several crucial saves to deny the veteran forward.
Portugal extended its lead in the 60th minute when a dangerous ball into the penalty area resulted in an own goal after a series of deflections involving Uzbek defenders and Nematov.
Rafael Leao completed the scoring late in the match, smashing a loose ball into the roof of the net to cap a dominant Portuguese performance.
In other World Cup matches, Croatia edged Panama, 1-0, England and Ghana settled for a scoreless draw, while Colombia blanked Congo, 1-0./PN
