Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal built a 3-0 lead against Uzbekistan in the 2026 World Cup, and the Portugal national football team standings took on extra weight with his record-setting night. He became the first man to score at six World Cups, then added a second goal before half-time as Portugal kept control.
Cristiano Ronaldo and six World Cups
Ronaldo opened the scoring with a close-range finish, then struck again shortly before half-time with another composed finish. That second goal made him the first man to score at six World Cups, a mark that sits on top of the match itself rather than beside it.
Portugal did not need long to build the rest of the cushion. Nuno Mendes made it 2-0 with a free kick, giving Portugal a lead that Uzbekistan had to chase almost from the start.
Nuno Mendes and the set pieces
Portugal’s work from dead-ball situations kept driving the game. Ronaldo also raced forward to try to get on the end of a Fernandes free kick, and he was involved in a set-piece decoy run that led to another Fernandes free kick over the top.
Joao Felix was later replaced by Francisco Trincao as Portugal managed the match from the front. The fourth goal arrived in the second half when Abdukodir Khusanov turned the ball into his own net, stretching the scoreline further against Abduvohid Nematov.
Portugal and Uzbekistan after half-time
The pace dipped after the break. The match was described as going a bit flat since half-time, even as Portugal controlled it and conserved energy.
For Uzbekistan, the damage was already done by the time the game settled. For Portugal, the four-goal lead turned Ronaldo’s milestone into part of a result that never looked in doubt once the second goal went in.
