Houston, 24 June (H.S.): Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice on Tuesday to inspire his side to a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in the FIFA World Cup 2026, moving the European giants to the brink of qualification for the knockout stage.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo made history in the sixth minute when he opened the scoring, becoming the first player in world football to score in six different FIFA World Cup campaigns. His remarkable World Cup journey began in 2006 and has now extended across two decades.

After finding the net, Ronaldo celebrated with his trademark “Siu” celebration and acknowledged the thousands of fans in attendance.

Portugal doubled their advantage in the 17th minute when Nuno Mendes converted from a free kick to make it 2-0. Ronaldo struck again in the 39th minute, scoring his second goal of the match and giving Portugal a commanding 3-0 lead. The goal took his overall World Cup tally to 10, the highest ever by a Portuguese player in the tournament.

Uzbekistan struggled throughout the contest and were unable to cope with Portugal’s relentless attacking pressure. The side, guided by former Italy World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, found it difficult to contain the Portuguese offensive.

Portugal added a fourth goal before halftime when a corner kick resulted in an own goal after the ball deflected off Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov and into the net.

The Portuguese side maintained its dominance after the break, and Rafael Leão completed the rout in the 87th minute with an impressive finish to make it 5-0.

Speaking after the match, Ronaldo said, “I am very happy. But for me, the most important thing is the team’s performance and our confidence. The team played very well and showed significant improvement compared to the previous match. Personal records are always pleasing, but my objective is to help the national team achieve its goals.”

Portugal had been held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their opening match of the tournament, but this emphatic victory marked a strong response and significantly strengthened their position in Group K.

Portugal will now face Colombia in their final group-stage fixture on Saturday. Colombia, meanwhile, opened their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan and have also secured a place in the knockout stage.

Brief Score:

Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan

Goals: Cristiano Ronaldo 2, Nuno Mendes 1, Own Goal 1, Rafael Leão 1.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar