Portugal vs. Uzbekistan score: Cristiano Ronaldo finds World Cup form with two goals in blowout

The final whistle blows at NRG Stadium, and Portugal cruise to a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan. Cristiano Ronaldo led the way with a historic brace, becoming the first player ever to score in six different World Cups, while Nuno Mendes added a superb free-kick. An unfortunate own goal by Nematov further extended Portugal's lead before Rafael Leao put the finishing touch on a dominant display with a fine strike from the edge of the box.

87' The party is not over! Rafael Leao added Portugal's fifth goal of the afternoon, putting the finishing touches on a dominant performance. The winger found space on the edge of the box and unleashed a precise strike that beat the goalkeeper. 

60' Portugal have their fourth goal of the afternoon, but it's a desperately unfortunate moment for Uzbekistan. Following a corner kick, the ball took a cruel deflection off Nematov and ended up in the back of his own net, leaving the goalkeeper helpless as he couldn't do much more. The game is already over... 

58' Cristiano Ronaldo came agonizingly close to completing his hat-trick as Portugal threatened to add a fourth goal. A cleverly worked free-kick routine caught the Uzbekistan defense off guard and created a golden opportunity for the Portuguese captain inside the box. Ronaldo's effort looked destined for the net, but the Uzbekistan goalkeeper produced an excellent save.

55' The second half started and we already had two nice chances for both teams. Portugal look strong ahead of the second part of the game but Uzbekistan are trying at least to score one. 

45' It's 3-0 after the opening 45 minutes and Portugal are dominating against Uzbekistan thanks to the brace scored by Cristiano Ronaldo, who made history at the World Cup. 

38' If anyone was waiting to see Cristiano Ronaldo's response to the recent braces from Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappé, the Portuguese superstar has delivered in style. A brilliant assist from Bruno Fernandes picks out Ronaldo in the box, and the striker makes no mistake, calmly finishing to extend Portugal's lead. It's Ronaldo's second goal of the afternoon and another statement performance on the World Cup stage.

29' Uzbekistan thought they had pulled one back in spectacular fashion when Ganiev unleashed a stunning strike from outside the box that flew into the net. However, after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out due to a foul on Joao Cancelo in the buildup. A heartbreaking moment for Uzbekistan...

16' It's 2-0 to Portugal, and Nuno Mendes is the man on the scoresheet. The left-back steps up and delivers a free-kick, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance as the ball finds the back of the net. Portugal are firmly in control now: it's 2-0 after less than 20 minutes.. 

15' Despite scoring the opening goal against Uzbekistan, Portugal keep pushing to score another one and had two more chances... but wait! 

Another day and moment to remember of this 2026 World Cup: Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first man to score in six different World Cup tournaments! 

6' Cristiano Ronaldo finds the back of the net and writes another remarkable chapter in his legendary career. The Portugal captain opens the scoring and becomes the first player in football history to score in six different World Cups, extending a record that may stand for years to come. What a moment for Ronaldo, Portugal, and World Cup history.

2' Two minutes into the match and Portugal are immediately pushing hard and had a chance with Bruno Fernandes. His attempt was deflected but good start from the side of Roberto Martinez. 

Everything is set at NRG Stadium in Houston for the clash between Portugal and Uzbekistan. The stage is ready, the players are prepared, and kickoff is just moments away. Let's see how this crucial World Cup encounter unfolds.

From Chuck Booth

With Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe all scoring two or more goals in each of their group stage matches so far while Ronaldo looks for his first, the Portugal man is lagging behind the others. That wouldn't matter if most Portugal attacks didn't look for him, but when the ball goes into the box, everyone looks for Ronaldo. 

Facing Uzbekistan, it may not be time to bench Ronaldo yet, but it's something that Martinez needs to have a look at if things aren't going well. Goncalo Ramos may not have the same ability to finish that Ronaldo has, but he would allow the midfield to be at their best and keep play ticking over. Bruno Fernandes is the reigning Premier League player of the year, and if he gets rolling and is able to serve dimes to the wingers, Portugal could be a hard team to stop in this tournament. But as always it comes down to what to do with one 41-year-old forward.

With a slow start, this isn't going to be a match that eases concerns fully, but given Portugal's midfield, Uzbekistan won't be able to keep up en route to eventually getting overwhelmed in the match. Pick: Portugal 3, Uzbekistan 0

The official lineups are here: 

Portugal XI: Diogo Costa; Nuno Mendes, Renato Veiga, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes; Joao Felix, Pedro Neto, Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Uzbekistan XI: Abduvakhid Nematov; Rustam Ashurmatov, Abdulla Abdullaev, Abdukodir Khusanov; Sherzod Nasrulloev, Otabek Shukrov, Odildzhon Khamrobekov, Bekhruz Karimov; Azizjon Ganiev, Abbosbek Fayzullayev, Eldor Shomurodov. 

Date: Tuesday, June 23 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: NRG Stadium -- Houston, Texas
TV: FOX (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Odds: Portugal -699; Draw +700; Uzbekistan +1400

Another day, another World Cup exciting round of games coming up. We kick things off with Portugal as Cristiano Ronald and his teammates need to win against Uzbekistan after drawing their opening match against DR Congo. I'm Francesco Porzio, let's go!