2026 FIFA World Cup: Ronaldo joins Messi in incredible record as he silences critics to lead Portugal's drubbing of Uzbekistan

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal have responded emphatically to their detractors, ripping Uzbekistan apart in a 5-0 rout in which the Al Nassr star grabbed an incredible brace.

Coming into the game off the back of a disappointing draw against DR Congo, in which Ronaldo was accused of derailing Selecao's ambitions, the 41-year-old looked determined to get on the scoresheet.

Performing under bright lights for the umpteenth time in his storied career, he grabbed the opener inside six minutes. The goal made him Portugal's oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.

He also holds the honour of being Portugal's youngest-ever scorer in the tournament; hence, he joined Lionel Messi and Michael Laudrup in the exclusive list of players to score World Cup goals as their country's youngest and oldest, respectively.

He grabbed his brace in the 39th minute after Nuno Mendes had doubled the lead with a 17th-minute free kick. Abduvokhid Nematov's own goal and Rafael Leao's brilliant strike completed the rout.

Portugal dictated the tempo from the very first whistle, enjoying overwhelming possession and carving through the Uzbekistan defence with ease.  

They did not waste time getting the opener, with João Cancelo combining expertly with Ronaldo. The Barcelona full-back delivered a sharp, low cross into the penalty area from the right flank. Ronaldo met it perfectly, firing a first-time finish past Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov at the near post. 

The goal immediately etched Ronaldo's name into the record books for a sixth consecutive tournament.  

Portugal doubled their advantage when they were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous area. While Ronaldo acted as a decoy, Nuno Mendes stepped up and hammered a stunning left-footed strike into the back of the net to make it 2-0.  

The Asian side thought they had found a lifeline when Aziz Ganiev struck a brilliant goal. However, following a VAR review, the referee disallowed the strike due to a foul on Cancelo in the buildup, keeping Uzbekistan scoreless.  

Just before halftime, Bruno Fernandes surged through the middle on a counter-attack and sent a throughball to Ronaldo, who calmly tapped home his second goal of the night. 

The strike took his career World Cup tally to 10 goals, officially moving him past Eusébio as Portugal’s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup. 

The second half saw Portugal comfortably manage their lead while continuing to threaten. Uzbekistan struggled to mount any sustained pressure, and their night went from bad to worse as the half wore on.

An attempt from Joao Neves from a corner kick in the 60th minute took a wicked deflection off the unfortunate Nematov, resulting in an own goal that extended Portugal's lead to 4-0.  

Substitute Rafael Leão put the final nail in the coffin, latching onto a loose ball in the penalty area and punching a powerful strike into the roof of the net to complete the 5-0 rout.  

With this victory, Portugal re-established their credentials as a tournament contender. They now sit on four points from two matches, putting them in an excellent position to advance to the knockout stages ahead of their final group stage clash against Colombia.

For Uzbekistan, the defeat brings an agonisingly premature end to their historic first World Cup appearance. Having suffered a 3-1 loss to Colombia in their opener, this second defeat mathematically eliminates them from the tournament, though they will hope to secure a consolation result in their final match against DR Congo.