Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score at six World Cup tournaments, netting twice as Portugal dominated Uzbekistan 5-0 on Tuesday (June 23) in Houston and reignited their title hopes at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 41-year-old captain made history in the sixth minute when he converted a cross from João Cancelo with his right foot, marking his sixth consecutive World Cup with a goal dating back to 2006. The achievement surpassed even Lionel Messi's World Cup scoring record across tournaments. Ronaldo celebrated with his trademark "siu" and let out a roar before 68,777 fans at Houston Stadium.

Nuno Mendes doubled Portugal's advantage in the 17th minute with a cleverly executed free-kick routine. Ronaldo added his second goal six minutes before halftime, receiving a pass from Bruno Fernandes and finishing coolly inside the near post to make it 3-0. The brace brought Ronaldo's World Cup total to 10 goals, more than any other Portuguese player including the legendary Eusebio, and extended his record as the all-time leading scorer in international men's football with 145 goals.

The resounding victory came after Portugal's disappointing 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in their tournament opener, a result that prompted critics to question whether coach Roberto Martinez should continue starting the veteran forward. Martinez stuck with his captain, and the decision paid immediate dividends.

"We improved," Ronaldo said after the match. "It's life, sometimes you will have challenges and the main goal is always to improve and that's what we did."

Uzbekistan, appearing at their first World Cup under coach Fabio Cannavaro, the 2006 World Cup-winning Italian captain, briefly thought they had pulled one back when Azizjon Ganiev struck a screamer in the 30th minute. However, the goal was disallowed after a VAR review showed Abbosbek Fayzullaev had fouled Cancelo just before the play.

Portugal extended their lead to 4-0 in the 60th minute when the ball deflected off Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov for an own goal, with Ronaldo heavily involved in the buildup. Substitute Rafael Leão capped the scoring in the 87th minute, thundering home from close range after Nelson Semedo's cutback was initially aimed at Ronaldo.

Martinez praised his team's maturity in handling the criticism that followed their opening draw. "The discipline, the way we executed the game was fantastic," he said, according to the Associated Press. "And I think that shows you that the maturity in that dressing room allowed us to use the noise in a positive way."

Ronaldo acknowledged the difficult week, particularly for himself and his coach. "But it's always like that, it doesn't matter, because it's been 23 years on the job and when things go well, 'Cristiano is good,' when things go bad, 'Cristiano is a retired player, is old,'" he said. "It will always be like that. But we responded well today, me and my teammates, which is what we wanted."

The victory moved Portugal to four points in Group K, temporarily placing them atop the standings before Colombia defeated Congo 1-0 later Tuesday to reclaim first place with six points. Portugal will face Colombia on Saturday (June 28) in Miami Gardens, Florida, in a match that will determine the group winner. Uzbekistan will play Congo on Saturday (June 28) in Atlanta, needing a victory and hoping for favorable results elsewhere to keep their knockout stage hopes alive.

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Corey Calhoun

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