In Ronaldo's shadow, Portugal beat Uzbekistan with 4 Sporting-made goals | OneFootball

Sporting was heavily in the spotlight in Portugal’s emphatic win over Uzbekistan (5-0), in the second matchday of the 2026 World Cup. Of the five goals scored by the team of the Quinas, four were netted by players developed at Alvalade.

The National Team captain became the first footballer to score in six different World Cup editions and also became Portugal’s all-time top scorer in the tournament’s final stages, overtaking Eusébio.

The 41-year-old forward opened the scoring after just six minutes, following an assist from João Cancelo, and struck again later on, taking advantage of a pass from Bruno Fernandes. With this brace, CR7 reached 10 goals in World Cups.

In between, Nuno Mendes also made his mark on the match. The full-back developed at Sporting scored a superb goal from a direct free-kick, extending Portugal’s lead in a dominant display from Roberto Martínez’s side.

In the closing minutes, Rafael Leão completed the rout and confirmed a night full of strong Sporting DNA. With two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, one from Nuno Mendes and another from Rafael Leão, four of Portugal’s five goals bore the stamp of the Sporting Academy. With this win, the National Team moved onto four points and temporarily took the lead in the group.

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