Cristiano Ronaldo broke two records as Portugal picked up their first victory of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, beating Uzbekistan 4-0 at Houston Stadium to go top of Group K for the time being.
Ronaldo netted twice to become the first ever player to score in six FIFA World Cup finals and overtook Eusebio’s record to become all-time top scorer at the tournament.
Ronaldo achieved the feat of scoring in six World Cups just six minutes into the match, as the former Real Madrid star responded to criticism for his performance in Portugal’s opener.
Joao Cancelo beat his man before crossing to Ronaldo, who smashed the ball in at the near post.
Roberto Martinez’s side continued to dominate the first half, with Nuno Mendes doubling their lead after just 17 minutes.
Pedro Neto had won a foul on the edge of the box and Mendes stepped up, firing a low strike into the bottom corner.
Uzbekistan thought they had equalised just after the hydration break, with Azizjon Ganiev launching a rocket into the top corner, only for it to be chalked off by VAR for a foul in the build up.
Ronaldo made it three just before half-time, slotting home Bruno Fernandes’ pass to become Portugal’s top scorer at FIFA World Cups.
The former Real Madrid star has now struck ten times in the competition, overtaking Eusebio’s previous record of nine.
Portugal continued to dominate the second half, and they added a fourth after an hour, with Abdukodir Khusanov turning the ball into his own net.
Joao Felix connected with a neat corner routine, before the ball flicked off Khusanov and into the back of the net.
Rafael Leao came off the bench to add a fifth for Portugal, smashing Nelson Semedo’s cut-back into the roof of the net. Leao has seen limited game time so far, so will be hoping that the strike will push him further forward in Martinez's thinking.
Martinez’s side now sit top of Group K ahead of Columbia’s clash with DR Congo, with a mouth-watering clash to come for Portugal with the South American side.
On the other hand, Uzbekistan have been eliminated from the tournament on their first appearance, having lost both their opening matches.