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Cristiano Ronaldo is the last big star to arrive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the legendary Portugal forward made an emphatic statement on Tuesday with two goals in a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium.
The win moved Portugal to four points in Group K and closer to a place in the round of 16. On the flip side, tournament debutants Uzbekistan have now lost their first two games and look set to head home after the group stage final.
Ronaldo and Portugal will next face Colombia on Saturday in a match that will decide their group. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, will be looking for their first win or point against DR Congo.
But first, here are four takeaways from Portugal vs. Uzbekistan:
1. Ronaldo in progress
(Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)
This WC has been about the stars delivering. Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Mohamed Salah have all scored multiple goals for their countries so far. But all eyes in this match were on Cristiano Ronaldo as he looked to join his rivals on the scoreboard.
People didn’t have to wait long as Ronaldo scored an impressive goal in the sixth minute as right back João Cancelo moved down the flank and cut the ball back into the center of the box for Ronaldo who was then able to hit a shot inside the near post.
Then, in the 39th minute, Ronaldo grabbed his second of the game when he raced to get behind the Uzbekistan backline and was on the end of a brilliant pass from Bruno Fernandes, his former Manchester United team-mate.
It was his staggering 145th international goal for Portugal and his 10th at the World Cup.
Getting Ronaldo going at this tournament was a huge priority for Portugal as he had not scored in his last 10 major tournaments, a stretch that had spanned over five years. That streak stretches to 13 games when penalties are not included.
Even at the age of 41, Ronaldo remains critical of Portugal’s plans. In 2025, Ronaldo scored eight goals in nine appearances for Portugal. But now he is in action at the 2026 World Cup, ending criticism that he is struggling in major tournaments or that he has fallen behind other elite players who have all scored more goals in this tournament. Ronaldo is right there with them.
Portugal are in much better shape now with Ronaldo in action.
2. Backs and Fernandes ran attacks
(Photo by Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
While Ronaldo was the top story in this game, finishing in two of Portugal’s goals, Portugal’s attack was powered by its two backs out wide, with Bruno Fernandes instrumental in the middle.
On the first goal, Barcelona right-back Cancelo produced a powerful shot down the right-hand side to find Ronaldo in the box. In the first half, Cancelo had 47 touches while completing 27/28 of his passes to be a major creator for Portugal. Probably due to rotation, he was removed at halftime.
On the left side it was Nuno Mendes who was very effective in controlling that side of the pitch. Fresh from winning his second consecutive Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain, Mendes scored the Portuguese goal from a free-kick that fooled everyone in the stadium. The expectation was that Ronaldo would take the kick, but Mendes was the surprise taker and had an opening to beat Uzbekistan keeper Abduvohid Nematov.
But Mendes was on the ball all the time with 98 touches in the match and he was very aggressive in keeping Uzbekistan at bay.
Then in the middle, it was Fernandes who drove the attack, switching points of attack and then assisting Ronaldo on the team’s third goal. Behind them, Vitinha sat deeper and constantly acted as the transition between defense and attack.
With such ability on both sides of the pitch and in the middle, it stretched Uzbekistan’s defense and gave Ronaldo space to score.
3. Learning lesson for Uzbekistan
(Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Uzbekistan’s first World Cup will be short. It was always going to be a climb after drawing both Colombia and Portugal in its group. The country’s federation tried to incorporate experienced management when it hired former Italy captain and Ballon d’Or-winning defender Fabio Cannavaro to lead the team, but ultimately the task at this tournament was too much. The first two opponents were simply too strong.
The good news is that despite this lopsided loss, this experience should only benefit these Uzbek players and improve the sport in the country. Soccer is strong in the Asian confederation. South Korea and Australia have played well at the World Cup. Iran drew Belgium in its last match and Saudi Arabia drew Uruguay.
The aim for Uzbekistan should be to consistently improve within AFC competitions. The country is ambitious, and in 2022 the government announced that it would complete the construction of 3,500 mini-soccer pitches in the country. It was a project that started in 2017.
The full national team is a mainstay in the knockout rounds of the AFC Asian Cup and its youth set-up is on the rise, having won the AFC U-20 Championship in 2023 and the U-17 Championship in 2025. In 2024, Uzbekistan qualified for the Olympics.
This World Cup will be short for Uzbekistan, but the team fought hard and it’s another step forward for the country’s program that has been making progress.
4. Martinez faces choices
(Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has questions when putting together his lineup for the group stage final against Colombia. After the disappointing 1-1 draw with DR Congo, Martinez made one big change, dropping Real Madrid’s Bernado Silva for João Félix.
But Colombia will be the team’s biggest test in the group stage and it will decide Group K. Martinez has so many ways he can play that game. If he chooses a combination of power and speed, he can start Rafael Leao, who scored the last goal. If he wants power, he can bring Silva back. There are many ways he can approach each match.
Martinez has often emphasized that no player is guaranteed a spot and that this team has enough talent to give him opportunities. Now that the team is playing well, the competition will be tough for players to earn minutes. In the pre-tournament friendlies, Martinez showed his squad’s depth as he used all 26 players in wins over Nigeria and Chile. The game against Colombia could be what he considers to be his starting line-up in a team that can go far at this World Cup.
