Cancelo loses it with the ref; ex-Benfica makes Ronaldo step in (video) | OneFootball

Portugal took an important step this Tuesday toward qualifying for the Round of 32 of the World Cup by beating Uzbekistan 5-0 in emphatic fashion, in a match dominated by the Seleção, despite a moment of concern during the first half.

In the 30th minute, João Cancelo lost possession in a defensive area to Abbos Fayzullaev, allowing the move to continue to Aziz Ganiev, who finished with a superb strike. However, referee Jalal Jayed was called to review the play through VAR and ended up disallowing the goal, awarding a foul on the Portuguese full-back at the start of the move.

The moment created some tension on the pitch, with Cancelo showing his frustration over the situation, and Cristiano Ronaldo had to step in to calm things down. Despite the scare, João Cancelo went on to play a decisive role in Portugal’s win. Just six minutes in, the full-back assisted CR7 for the opening goal of the match.

With that precise finish, the captain of the national team became the first player in history to score in six different World Cup editions, adding another remarkable achievement to a career full of records. Shortly after, in the 17th minute, Nuno Mendes doubled Portugal’s lead with an expertly taken direct free-kick, confirming the superiority of the side led by Portugal.

With this result, Portugal moved on to four points in Group K, remaining in second place in the standings, two points behind Colombia. The South Americans also secured qualification after beating DR Congo 1-0 and currently top the group with six points.

The final matchday promises to decide first place, with Portugal set to face Colombia in the early hours of Sunday, June 28, at 12:30 a.m. in Miami. The match will pit the two strongest teams in the group against each other and determine who finishes top of the table.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.