Ronaldo fires Portugal past Uzbekistan with clinical two-goal display

In partnership with

GOAL

·23 June 2026

Ronaldo fires Portugal past Uzbekistan with clinical two-goal display

Portugal delivered an emphatic 5–0 victory over World Cup debutants Uzbekistan, responding comprehensively to criticism following their opening-round draw with DR Congo. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring at 6 minutes and added his second at 39 minutes, while Nuno Mendes struck from a free kick to make it 2–0 at 17 minutes.

An own goal by goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov at 60 minutes and Rafael Leão's late strike at 87 minutes completed the rout as Portugal dominated with 66% possession throughout. GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Portugal v Uzbekistan.

OneFootball Videos

Follow the latest World Cup News on Goal.com

Winners

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

Ronaldo delivered a match-defining performance with two expertly taken goals that set Portugal on course for a dominant victory. He opened the scoring at 6 minutes, finishing João Cancelo's cross from the right with his right foot, before doubling his tally at 39 minutes on the counter-attack from Bruno Fernandes' pass.

Beyond his two finishes, the forward threatened repeatedly throughout the match. He came close to a hat-trick on multiple occasions: Abdukodir Khusanov cleared off the goal line at 45+6 minutes after Ronaldo lifted the ball over the goalkeeper, while Nematov saved his efforts at 58 and 74 minutes and Rustam Ashurmatov blocked at 73 minutes.

His two-goal contribution set the foundation for Portugal's comprehensive victory and answered questions raised after their opening draw with DR Congo. The performance demonstrated his continued central role in Portugal's attack, with teammates consistently looking to find him in dangerous positions.

Nuno Mendes (Portugal)

The left-back produced an outstanding attacking display, scoring Portugal's second goal directly from a free kick at 17 minutes. His strike deceived the goalkeeper after all attention had been on Cristiano Ronaldo during the buildup, catching Uzbekistan off guard with a well-executed set piece.

Mendes provided constant width and penetration down the left flank throughout, repeatedly taking on and beating Uzbekistan defenders with his dribbling and pace. He delivered dangerous crosses into the area and combined effectively with João Félix and Bruno Fernandes in the final third, drawing multiple fouls with his direct approach.

His goal extended Portugal's advantage to 2–0 at a moment when Uzbekistan might have regrouped after conceding early. His overlapping runs stretched the opposition defence and created numerous attacking opportunities, proving integral to Portugal's attacking rhythm from the left side.

Loser

Abduvokhid Nematov (Uzbekistan)

A difficult evening for the goalkeeper, who scored an unfortunate own goal at 60 minutes when a short corner routine deflected off him and into the net, extending Portugal's lead to 4–0. The mistake came during a period when Uzbekistan had shown some attacking threat in the second half.

While Nematov made several saves to prevent an even heavier defeat, denying Cristiano Ronaldo at 58 minutes from a set-piece routine and again at 74 minutes after the forward beat two defenders, he could not prevent the opening goal when he was beaten at his near post from Cancelo's cross.

His own goal compounded a difficult situation as Portugal's lead became insurmountable, ending any slim hopes of an Uzbekistan comeback. The World Cup debutants had briefly found their footing after half-time, but Nematov's misfortune extended the deficit and deflated his side completely.