Cristiano Ronaldo bags a brace as Portugal thrash Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston
Ronaldo struck twice and Portugal completed the rout through Nuno Mendes, an own goal and Rafael Leão.
Portugal produced an attacking masterclass to thrash Uzbekistan 5-0 at Houston's NRG Stadium, the roofed 68,777-seat colossus famed for its electric atmosphere, in a second-round Group K clash at the 2026 World Cup. The Portuguese claimed their first win of the tournament after an opening draw with DR Congo and relaunched their bid for top spot.
The game was settled early. In the 6th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo finished off a João Cancelo pass to put Portugal ahead, and in the 17th Nuno Mendes doubled the lead for a 2-0 inside a quarter of an hour. Uzbekistan briefly celebrated a goal from Azizjon Ganiev in the 30th, but VAR ruled it out and deflated the Asian side's attempt to respond.
Before the break, in the 39th, Ronaldo completed his brace from a Bruno Fernandes pass to put the result beyond doubt. In the second half, an own goal from Abduvokhid Nematov in the 60th made it 4-0, and Rafael Leão wrapped up the rout in the 87th.
Roberto Martínez set up Portugal in a 4-2-3-1 with Ronaldo leading the line and Bruno Fernandes pulling the strings, while Fabio Cannavaro replied with an Uzbek 3-4-2-1 that never found a way to stem the Portuguese threat. The match offered little edge, with yellow cards for Uzbekistan's Odiljon Khamrobekov (14') and Portugal's Renato Veiga (68').
With this win, Portugal move on to four points in Group K and surge into the fight for first place, which will be decided on 27 June against Colombia. Uzbekistan, by contrast, are left without a point after two defeats and all but eliminated from the 2026 World Cup.