Pressure was high for Portugal after the disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo last week at their World Cup debut, but they responded the criticism with style, a 5-0 thrashing to Uzbekistan, the weakest team in Group K. Portugal now stands as temporary group leaders, waiting for the result of Colombia (which already has three points) vs. DR Congo tomorrow, Wednesday at 4:00 AM CEST, 3:00 BST.
Pressure was specially high for Cristiano Ronaldo, heavily criticised in the first match for his weak performance, only three shots and 25 interventions in 90 minutes. CR7 responded quickly, scoring the first goal only 6 minutes in, adding another goal before halftime. Nuno Mendes, Rafael Leao, and an own goal by Abdukodir Khusanov after a shot by Joao Felix from a corner completed the rout.
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Ronaldo, the only player to score in six World Cups: 10 already
Ronaldo scoring at 41 and 128 days doesn't make him the oldest player to score at World Cup: the record will likely be held for a long time by Roger Milla, who scored at 42 years & 39 days in 1994. But Ronaldo is the oldest player to score a brace in World Cup, and more meaningful, becomes the first player to score at six World Cups.
He also breaks the much reported streak of ten games in major competitions (World Cup and UEFA Euro Cup) without scoring a goal for Portugal, a streak that didn't take into account the World Cup qualifiers or the Nations League 2024/25, which Portugal won, beating Spain, and with Ronaldo being the top goal scorer with 8 goals.
Only Messi (alongside Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who hasn't played as he is back up for Raúl Rangel) has also played in six World Cups, but despite having the all-time goal scoring record in World Cups, at 18 goals, he did not score in South Africa 2010. Those two goals were Ronaldo's ninth and tenth goals at World Cups.