Ronaldo scores twice as Portugal thrash Uzbekistan 5-0

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup campaigns as Portugal cruised to a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan on Tuesday, moving to the brink of qualification for the knockout stage.

 

The 41-year-old captain scored twice in Houston, helping Portugal secure a dominant win and responding strongly to criticism following the team’s opening 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

Ronaldo opened the scoring after six minutes, meeting a cross from Joao Cancelo and firing past goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov. The goal saw him surpass all previous World Cup records by becoming the first footballer to score in six separate editions of the tournament, dating back to 2006.

 

Nuno Mendes doubled Portugal’s advantage in the 17th minute before Ronaldo grabbed his second six minutes before halftime with a composed finish. The brace took his World Cup tally to 10 goals, the highest by a Portuguese player, surpassing the record held by Eusebio.

 

Speaking after the match, Ronaldo said the performance came after a difficult period.

 

“It’s always nice to break records, but my goal is to help the national team achieve its objectives,” he said.

 

“It was a difficult week, a dark week. It seemed like I was already retired from football. But I held on, as always, because I believe more in hard work than in anything else.”

 

Uzbekistan thought they had reduced the deficit through Azizjon Ganiev, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review for a foul on Cancelo in the build-up.

 

Portugal extended their lead before the break when Ronaldo converted another chance after a swift attacking move.

 

The fourth goal came from an own goal by Nematov following a corner, while substitute Rafael Leao completed the rout with an emphatic finish in the 87th minute.

 

The victory places Portugal in a strong position to reach the last 32, with their final Group K match against Colombia scheduled for Saturday.

 

Before the Uzbekistan game, Ronaldo had gone 10 matches at major tournaments, including World Cups and European Championships, without scoring, prompting calls from some quarters for coach Roberto Martinez to leave him out of the starting lineup.

 

Martinez, however, maintained his confidence in the veteran forward, who repaid that faith with a record-breaking performance.

 

Portugal will now turn their attention to Colombia as they seek to secure top spot in the group and continue their quest for a first World Cup title.