Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan: Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first player to score at six World Cups

Portugal swept aside Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston to book their place among the favourites to advance from Group K, but the scoreline was almost secondary to what unfolded in the sixth minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo, scrutinised and second-guessed after a blank against DR Congo, silenced every critic with a single right-footed finish - and in doing so, became the first player in history to score at six different World Cup tournaments.

The 41-year-old added a second before half time, Rafael Leao wrapped up a commanding victory late on, and Portugal are suddenly looking every inch a team with genuine knockout ambitions.

Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan: What just happened?

Roberto Martinez’s side were ruthless from the first whistle, and it took barely six minutes for Ronaldo to make his mark.

Joao Cancelo drove down the right flank and delivered a precise low cross into the penalty area, where Ronaldo arrived to hook a first-time finish just inside the near post. The celebrations that followed were as much relief as joy.

Nuno Mendes doubled the lead shortly after when he buried a free kick into the left corner, with Ronaldo magnanimously stepping aside to allow his teammate to take the set-piece.

Portugal’s third arrived before the break - Bruno Fernandes threading a through ball for Ronaldo, who timed his run perfectly and guided a composed finish into the far corner for his brace.

Uzbekistan, to their credit, pushed for moments of their own. Azizjon Ganiev appeared to score a stunning long-range effort, only for it to be correctly ruled out for a foul in the build-up. An own goal from Abduvohid Nematov in the 60th minute and Leao’s late strike completed the rout.

The result was never really in doubt. Portugal controlled the contest in every department, and Uzbekistan had little answer to the pace and movement of a team finally firing on all cylinders.

Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan: The big talking point

Just seven days separated two very different versions of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Against DR Congo, he cut a frustrated figure - three shots, no goals, and a performance that reignited the familiar debate about whether a 41-year-old has any place in a World Cup starting XI. Against Uzbekistan, the answer came within six minutes.

The first goal was the record-breaker. Ronaldo has now scored at the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups - a feat no other player in the history of the tournament has managed. Not Pele. Not Messi. Not Klose. Not Ronaldo himself until today.

It is a statistic that spans a 20-year journey from a 21-year-old penalty against Iran in Germany to a near-post finish in Houston at the age of 41. The breadth of it is almost impossible to comprehend.

Ronaldo’s record: The bigger picture

The record lands at a particularly pointed moment in the Ronaldo-Messi conversation.

Lionel Messi became the all-time leading World Cup scorer just 24 hours earlier, taking his tally to 18 with a brace against Austria. Ronaldo now has 10 - the gap in goals is considerable. But the six-tournament record belongs to Ronaldo alone.

Messi, who failed to score at the 2010 tournament in South Africa, cannot match it.

At 41 years and 138 days, Ronaldo also became the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history, behind only Roger Milla, who was 42 when he scored for Cameroon in 1994. This is almost certainly Ronaldo’s final World Cup. He appears determined to leave on his own terms.

For Portugal, the significance extends beyond the individual milestone. A first win of the tournament - emphatic and convincing puts them in a commanding position in Group K heading into their final group game against Colombia. The squad around Ronaldo looks sharp, cohesive, and considerably more threatening than they did against Congo.

Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan: What happens next?

Portugal face Colombia in their final Group K fixture, with progression to the knockout rounds within reach. A point would likely be enough, though Martinez will be targeting a win to secure top spot.

Uzbekistan’s fate is no longer in their own hands. They need DR Congo to fail to beat Colombia later today - a result that would give the Central Asian debutants a lifeline heading into the final round of fixtures.