Portugal secured an emphatic 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their second Group K match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Houston Stadium, moving to the top of the group standings with four points.
The Portuguese side made a dream start, opening the scoring in the fifth minute. João Cancelo delivered a precise cross from the right flank, and Cristiano Ronaldo met it with a first-time finish to give Portugal an early lead. The goal relieved the pressure that had surrounded the Portuguese captain in recent days, and he celebrated with the players on the bench. With the strike, Ronaldo became the second-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, behind Cameroon legend Roger Milla.
Portugal continued to dominate and doubled their advantage in the 17th minute. Following a set-piece situation, Nuno Mendes produced an excellent finish to make it 2-0 and underline Portugal’s determination.
After the second goal, the tempo of Portugal’s attacks slowed, while Uzbekistan struggled to create clear chances against goalkeeper Diogo Costa. In the 29th minute, Aziz Ganiev appeared to pull one back with a powerful long-range effort, but after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out due to a foul by Fayzullaev on João Cancelo in the build-up.
Portugal regained complete control and struck again in the 39th minute. A swift counterattack saw Bruno Fernandes play a superb through ball to Ronaldo, who calmly finished in a one-on-one situation to score his second goal of the match and extend the lead to 3-0. At the age of 41, Ronaldo once again demonstrated his enduring quality. The goal also marked his 10th World Cup goal for Portugal, making him the nation's all-time leading scorer in the tournament and surpassing Eusébio.
Uzbekistan began the second half with greater confidence, but Portugal remained the more dangerous side. In the 59th minute, a well-worked set-piece involving Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo created another clear opportunity, but goalkeeper Otkir Nematov denied Ronaldo a hat-trick with an excellent save.
Just one minute later, Portugal scored their fourth goal. Following the resulting corner kick, a defensive mix-up between Abdukodir Khusanov and Abdulvahid Nematov resulted in the ball ending up in Uzbekistan’s net. The goal was officially recorded as an own goal by goalkeeper Nematov.
Portugal completed the rout in the 87th minute. Nelson Semedo attempted to find Ronaldo with a low cross, but Khusanov’s tackle diverted the ball into the path of Rafael Leão, who calmly finished to add his name to the scoresheet.
The final whistle confirmed a dominant 5-0 victory for Roberto Martínez’s men. Portugal climbed to the top of Group K with four points, while Uzbekistan remained bottom of the table without a point after suffering its second consecutive defeat.
