Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan
Portugal went top of World Cup 2026 Group K on Tuesday afternoon thanks to a comprehensive 5-0 win over new boys Uzbekistan on a memorable day in Houston.
Portugal’s neighbours Spain and other big guns such as Argentina have started strongly at the World Cup while the Selecao drew their opener against DR Congo; but against the White Wolves they put it all right with a relentless display of attacking football as the main man was back on form with a first half double.
In my SBOTOP preview of this match I asked whether the time had come for Cristiano Ronaldo to take a break, but what do I know! To be fair a lot of the World Cup 2026 news over the past week or so has centred around this very question. The great man had 143 goals for the Selecao but he’s been on a dry run. But it took CR7 just seven minutes to make it 144 and settle the Portugal fans’ nerves. A Nuno Mendes striker made it two and Ronaldo added a third before the break.
He didn’t get a hat-trick, an own goal and a late fifth from Rafael Leao, but Ronaldo certainly silenced his critics.
Highlights of the game
There had been a lot of noise around Ronaldo before this game and he answered emphatically, on seven minutes, getting in front of his defender and hammering home a cross from Joao Cancelo. And on 18 minutes it was two and Ronaldo had his part to play again. Uzbekistan gave away a cheap foul and it looked like Ronaldo was sizing it up, but instead Paris Saint-Germain star Nuno Mendes stepped up and powered the free-kick home.
Portugal were comfortable but Uzbekistan were giving away too many fouls and were in danger of losing their discipline. The underdogs’ mood darkened when they thought they had halved the deficit when Azizjon Ganiev fired in a spectacular effort into the top left corner only for VAR to spot a foul in the build up, Abossbek Fayzullaev catching Cancelo when he took the ball off the defender.
And the Uzbeks looked totally bereft when Ronaldo added his second and Portugal’s third when he rolled home the ball after picking up a peach of a cross from Bruno Fernandes.
Any hopes of the White Wolves making a comeback were dashed on the hour and it was an unlucky moment for Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov, who put through his own goal. The excellent Fernandes fired in a dangerous cross which evaded Ronaldo, but Joao Felix got a touch and the ball bounced in off the hapless Uzbek defender.
Ronaldo was desperate for a hat-trick and when Nelson Semedo crossed again, he was just out of reach but the ball landed perfectly for substitute Rafael Leao who lashed it first time into the roof of the net.
Key statistics
After drawing 1-1 with DR Congo in their opener Portugal came out of the traps at blistering pace and were three up at the break, winning the shot count by eight to three and three shots to one in target. In the second half Portugal were even more dominant, ending up with nine shots to two on target.
Ronaldo scored his first goal in 11 internationals but he is now the first player to score in six World Cup tournaments. He’s also his nations youngest and oldest player to score at a World Cup, matching the feats of Michael Laudrup of Denmark and the great Lionel Messi.
What’s next?
The World Cup 2026 betting odds have pitched Portugal in the top six and after this performance that makes perfect sense.
So what comes next?
Later on Tuesday Group L leaders England face Ghana, hoping to confirm their progress to the knockout phase though the Black Stars have their eyes on the Round of 32 too. And then the other Group K clash takes place as Colombia hopes to make it two wins from two when they take on DR Congo, while Panama meet Croatia in Group L.
And then we begin Round Three of the group stages, with Switzerland and Canada, both on four points with a Round of 32 place virtually assured. Brazil and Morocco are in a similar position, on four points each when they meet Scotland and Haiti in Group C.
Group K concludes on Sunday when the Selecao faces Colombia and Uzbekistan take on DR Congo. And then we’re moving into the sudden death phase.
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