Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the sixth minute against Uzbekistan and became the first player to score in six World Cups. Portugal then kept pushing, with Ronaldo later adding another goal before halftime as the match moved toward a heavy win. The early strike wiped away some of the pressure from Portugal’s opening draw with DR Congo.
Ronaldo Sets the Pace
The first goal arrived fast. Ronaldo finished in six minutes, and the 41-year-old turned a tight early game into one Portugal controlled before the interval. He later scored again late in the first half, leaving him one touch away from a hat-trick and making the record feel like a byproduct of the same sharp movement that has defined him across World Cups.
Roberto Martinez had Portugal on the front foot after that opening setback against DR Congo, and the response was immediate. Nuno Mendes added Portugal’s second goal after Ronaldo made a dummy run over a free-kick, a piece of movement that pulled Uzbekistan apart without needing a long spell of possession.
Portugal Stretch Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan entered the match as tournament debutants and already trailing the pressure of a 3-1 loss to Colombia in their opening fixture. They were left chasing after Ronaldo’s opener, and Portugal kept the game pinned in their half while the score climbed to 3-0 late in the first half.
Bruno and Cancelo were part of the flow around Ronaldo’s chances, and the clearest late opening came in the 51st minute when a Cancelo pass was cleared off the line. That chance would have completed the hat-trick, but the record was already secure by then.
Cannavaro and the Ruled-Out Goal
Fabio Cannavaro’s side did create a jolt when Uzbekistan had a goal ruled out. Mark Clattenburg said, “The one with Messi, there were a lot of things that could happen, this strike, it's on the edge of the area, and it was a great strike, but it's a foul, it's a clear foul, it's just before the goal and Portugal don't have time to reset.”
Roy Keane’s view matched the way Ronaldo handled the night. He said, “Why would you ever doubt him? This guy is amazing. No doubt he’d turn up today. There was still relief for him there, when you see how much he cares about the game.”
Whether Ronaldo finished with a hat-trick is the one detail left hanging, but the bigger line is already fixed: he scored in six minutes, scored again before halftime, and became the first player to score in six editions of the World Cup.
