Portugal vs Uzbekistan LIVE: Cristiano Ronaldo on a hat-trick after silencing World Cup critics | OneFootball

Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo have emphatically responded the criticism that followed a drab start to their World Cup campaign as smashed in a brace in a romping of Uzbekistan.

A 1-1 draw with DR Congo was a lacklustre opener for Roberto Martinez’s side, and led to renewed scrutiny over the role of record scorer Ronaldo.

But after keeping his starting spot for the second Group K outing, the 41-year-old issued his own reply to record-breaker Lionel Messi by writing himself into history, becoming the first player to score in six editions of the World Cup.

He then played a part in Portugal’s second, doing a dummy run over a free-kick which Nuno Mendes subsequently fired home, before slotting home again late in the first half to put himself on a hat-trick.

Tournament debutants Uzbekistan, managed by 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, did have a goal chalked off by VAR before the interval but saw their woes compounded by a Abdukodir Khusanov own goal on the hour mark.