Portugal beats Uzbekistan 5-0 in 2026 World Cup group stage

Portugal defeated Uzbekistan 5-0 in the second round of group-stage matches at the 2026 World Cup, played at NRG Stadium. The victory gave Portugal its first win of the tournament, lifting the team to four points, while Uzbekistan remained on zero and stayed at the bottom of the group. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 6th minute, finishing off a cross from João Cancelo. Nuno Mendes extended the lead to 2-0 in the 17th minute with a free kick. A 29th-minute goal by Uzbekistan was disallowed after the referee ruled a foul on Cancelo. Ronaldo added his second before halftime from a Bruno Fernandes pass, making it 3-0. In the second half, Portugal's fourth goal came when a corner kick struck Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvahid Nematov and deflected into his own net. Substitute Rafael Leão completed the scoring in the 86th minute from inside the penalty area.