Ronaldo Scores at Six World Cups, Breaks Eusébio’s Record — Portugal Demolish Uzbekistan 5-0

For ten consecutive major tournament matches, Cristiano Ronaldo had gone without a goal. For ten agonising games, the doubters had grown louder with every miss and every muted performance. Then, in the sixth minute in Houston, he silenced every last one of them — swivelling inside the six-yard box to slam home a first-time finish and become the first player in football history to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments. Nuno Mendes added a stunning free-kick, Ronaldo struck again before half-time, and Rafael Leão completed a 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan at NRG Stadium on June 23, 2026. Portugal is at the top of Group K. The GOAT debate just got even louder.

Portugal vs Uzbekistan 5-0 Highlights — World Cup 2026 Group K

Roberto Martínez needed a response after Portugal’s frustrating 1-1 draw with DR Congo. He got one of the most dominant performances of the entire 2026 World Cup — a complete, ruthless 90-minute display that bore absolutely no resemblance to the stuttering opener. Portugal ended the game with 17 shots, an xG of 2.43 to Uzbekistan’s 0.25, and five different goal involvements from five different players.

Match Summary:

Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup Record — The First Player to Score at Six Tournaments

Ronaldo walked into NRG Stadium having gone 10 consecutive major tournament games without scoring — the worst drought of his international career. He had registered zero shots on target against DR Congo. And while Messi (five goals), Mbappé and Haaland (four each) had been lighting up the opening matchdays of this World Cup, Ronaldo had been conspicuously absent from the headlines.

All of that changed in 360 seconds.

6′ — Ronaldo opens the scoring and makes history. Pedro Neto showed neat footwork on the right flank, João Cancelo cut the ball back from the byline, and Ronaldo was there at the near post — first time, pure instinct — smashing a finish past goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov. The “Siuuu” celebration followed instantly. The crowd of 68,777 erupted. And just like that, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first footballer in history to score at six separate FIFA World Cup tournaments: 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026.

17′ — Nuno Mendes curls in a stunning free-kick. After Pedro Neto was felled on the edge of the area, all eyes went to Ronaldo as he stood over the ball. But in a clever piece of gamesmanship, Ronaldo acted as a decoy — allowing Mendes to fire a low, curling effort into the far corner. It was only the second direct free-kick goal scored by a Portugal player at a World Cup — the first? Ronaldo himself, against Spain in 2018.

Uzbekistan’s disallowed goal. The Uzbeks thought they had halved the deficit when Aziz Ganiev unleashed a rocket of a strike — only for VAR to rule it out for a foul by Abbosbek Fayzullaev on Cancelo in the build-up. The crowd inside NRG Stadium barely had time to settle before Ronaldo punished them again.

39′ — Ronaldo completes his brace. Bruno Fernandes threaded a perfect through-ball between the Uzbek defensive lines, and Ronaldo — always the predator — raced onto it and slotted an angled finish into the far corner to make it 3-0 before half-time. It was his 10th career World Cup goal, officially surpassing Eusébio’s nine to become Portugal’s all-time leading scorer at the FIFA World Cup.

📺 Watch the full match highlights: Portugal vs Uzbekistan 5-0 — FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Highlights

The Historic Records Ronaldo Broke in Houston

The scale of what Ronaldo achieved on Tuesday afternoon in Texas deserves to be read slowly.

At 41 years and 138 days old, he is now the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history — behind only Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who netted at 42 years and 39 days against Russia in 1994. He also became the oldest player ever to score twice in a single World Cup match, surpassing the record Lionel Messi had set earlier in this very same tournament. He joined Messi and Michael Laudrup as the only players to be both the youngest and oldest goalscorers for their country in World Cup history.

His two goals brought his international tally to 144 and 145 — a record he holds by 23 goals over Messi. Portugal has now won three World Cup matches by five goals or more: 7-0 against North Korea in 2010, 6-1 against Switzerland in 2022, and 5-0 tonight against Uzbekistan.

And the man himself? Measured as always: “I’m very happy. But for me, the most important thing is our work and the confidence we showed. The team performed really well and improved a lot. Records are always nice, but my goal is always to help the national team achieve its objectives.”

Portugal’s Second Half Control — Own Goal and Leão Seal the Rout

Ronaldo chased a hat-trick in the second half with typical relentlessness — forcing a fine save from Nematov after juggling the ball onto his left foot — but Portugal’s fourth goal came via a different route entirely.

60′ — Nematov’s unfortunate own goal. Bruno Fernandes delivered a corner to the near post, where João Félix produced a clever flick that created chaos inside the six-yard box. The ball deflected off Abdukodir Khusanov, then struck Nematov’s glove before rolling agonisingly into the net. A desperately cruel moment for the goalkeeper who had done well to keep Portugal to only three in the first half.

87′ — Leão fires the fifth. Nelson Semedo’s cross was only half-cleared, the ball rolling directly to substitute Rafael Leão on the edge of the area — who thundered it into the top-left corner to put the finishing touch on a completely dominant display.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K Standings — Portugal Top, Colombia Await

Portugal top Group K with four points, one clear of Colombia, who still have a game in hand. Their final group fixture is a massive clash against Luis Lorenzo’s Colombia on Saturday — a match that could decide who leads the group into the knockout rounds. For Uzbekistan, coached by the great Fabio Cannavaro, the World Cup dream is all but over.

But this night belongs to one man. At 41 years old. Six World Cups. Ten goals. Records that may never be broken. Cristiano Ronaldo is not finished yet.

For full FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K results, Portugal match updates and live coverage, visit fawanewss.co.uk. Full fixtures, group standings and squads at the official FIFA website.