World Cup
Ronaldo scores twice as Portugal thrash Uzbekistan 5-0
Portugal opened their World Cup campaign with a dominant 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in Houston, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting two goals and becoming the first player to score in six tournaments while also surpassing Eusébio as Portugal's top World Cup scorer with ten strikes.
Roberto Martínez's Portugal started brightly in Houston, creating several early chances. Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo both shot in the opening minutes, but it was Ronaldo who opened the scoring after six minutes by converting João Cancelo's cross.
About ten minutes later Nuno Mendes added the second goal. The left‑back struck from a free‑kick on the edge of the six‑yard box, sending a hard shot past the Uzbek goalkeeper.
Uzbekistan pulled one back through Azizjon Ganiev, but the goal was ruled out for a foul on João Cancelo in the buildup. The disallowed strike kept the score at 2‑0.
Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice vs Uzbekistan to set new World Cup record
Ronaldo restored his brace after the break, heading the ball into the far corner to make it 3‑0. The strike gave him ten World Cup goals, overtaking Eusébio as Portugal's all‑time scorer at the tournament. A corner delivered by Bruno Fernandes found Khusanov, whose header struck goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov, whose attempt to clear failed, resulting in an own goal that increased the margin to 4‑0. Rafael Leão, who entered as a substitute, capped the victory with a composed finish in the final minutes, sealing the 5‑0 result. The win marked Portugal's first triumph of the World Cup, confirming their dominance in the group stage.