Ronaldo scored twice in the first 39 minutes, Nuno Mendes curled a free kick into the bottom corner while the entire Uzbekistan wall stood waiting for Ronaldo to strike, Leão came off the bench to finish in the top left and an Uzbekistan goalkeeper accidentally put one into his own net.
Portugal won 5-0 at NRG Stadium in Houston on Tuesday night and everything that felt broken after the DR Congo draw, the midfield, the movement, the connection between players, suddenly looked very much fixed. The football world that spent three days writing Ronaldo off had nothing to say by full time, and Group K, which looked complicated 72 hours ago, now looks very much like Portugal’s to control.
Ronaldo answered every question in the first half
There is something almost theatrical about the way Ronaldo operates at major tournaments. One bad game and the world writes him off. Then he goes and scores two goals in the first forty minutes and everyone has to recalibrate. That is exactly what happened here.
The first goal came in the sixth minute, João Cancelo whipped a cross from the right and Ronaldo met it with a clinical right-footed finish into the bottom corner. It was the kind of movement and finish that looked effortless, the sort of goal that reminds everyone why he is still in this squad at 41. By the time the 39th minute arrived, Bruno Fernandes had threaded a through ball in behind the Uzbekistan defence on the counter, and Ronaldo was there again, right side of the box, same composure, same placement, 3-0 on the board.
What was striking was not just the goals but the way he played between them. He moved in and out of the box, dragged defenders around, linked with Félix and Fernandes in ways that felt natural rather than forced. The criticism after the Congo game was that he stood still and waited.
Against Uzbekistan, he was constantly available, constantly asking for the ball. The movement was sharper, the pressing was there, and the connection with his teammates looked completely different from the first game. Whether that was Ronaldo raising his level or Portugal finally giving him the right platform to work from is a question worth asking, the answer is probably both.
Nuno Mendes and the set-piece that changed everything
Sandwiched between Ronaldo‘s two goals was one of the moments of the match, a free kick in the 17th minute that showcased exactly what this Portugal side can do when they are thinking creatively. Everyone in the stadium expected Ronaldo to step up and take the set-piece. The Uzbekistan wall had clearly prepared for exactly that.
Instead, Nuno Mendes stepped forward and bent a left-footed effort into the bottom left corner that the goalkeeper had absolutely no chance of reaching. It was a beautifully disguised routine, and the confusion it caused in the Uzbekistan defensive wall was obvious. Martinez had clearly worked on this, using Ronaldo‘s reputation as a weapon without him even having to strike the ball. At 2-0, with the crowd buzzing and Uzbekistan looking rattled, Portugal were in complete control.
Bruno Fernandes looked like himself again
After the frustration of the Congo match where his heat map showed almost nothing going forward, Bruno Fernandes was a completely different player here. He was higher, more direct, more involved in the final third, and the killer pass for Ronaldo’s second goal was exactly the kind of line-breaking delivery he produces routinely at Manchester United but had been completely absent from his game in the opener.
The through ball was perfectly weighted, perfectly timed, and Ronaldo did the rest. That combination, Bruno finding the striker in behind, is the kind of thing Portugal can genuinely use against any team in this tournament if they continue to set up this way.
The difference from the Congo game was not just individual quality but structural freedom. With Félix in the team instead of Bernardo, the congestion in central areas that had been choking Bruno’s movement simply was not there.
Félix plays slightly differently, takes up smarter positions relative to Ronaldo, and gives Bruno the space to operate higher and drive forward. It is not a coincidence that Martinez’s decision to drop Bernardo, the actual underperforming player from the Congo game rather than the obvious target in Ronaldo, produced this kind of result. That was a brave and correct call.
The own goal and the second half told the full story
Uzbekistan‘s goalkeeper Nematov had an evening to forget that ended in the most unfortunate way possible. In the 60th minute, a ball into the box deflected off him and crossed the line for an own goal to make it 4-0, and the match was completely beyond any kind of contest at that point.
Portugal eased off considerably in the second half, visibly walking through passages of play, conserving energy, rotating heavily, which is both understandable and slightly concerning if you are thinking about what comes next. Vitinha and João Neves both came off before the hour was up, which raised eyebrows given they are two of Portugal’s most important players, and there were patches where Uzbekistan actually had the ball more than Portugal wanted to give up.
Rafael Leão came on in the 83rd minute and within four minutes had put a right-footed shot into the top left corner to make it 5-0. It was a superb finish, the kind of goal Leão scores when he is confident and getting the ball in the right areas, and it put an emphatic stamp on the evening. Uzbekistan‘s only real moments of note came from set-pieces, and their second-half performance showed some of the fight and organisation they had displayed against Colombia, but the gap in class was simply too large to bridge.
What this means for Uzbekistan
For Uzbekistan, this is a painful evening but not a shameful one in the grand scheme of things. This is their first FIFA World Cup, and they qualified for it on merit, they did not need the expanded format to get here, having gone through Asian qualifying in their own right.
The tears from Abdukodir Khusanov at full-time said everything about what this tournament means to the players and the country, and it is hard not to feel for them. Losing 5-0 to one of the most talented squads in the world in their debut World Cup appearance is brutal, but it is also a reference point, a standard to measure themselves against as they continue to develop.
The decision to hire Fabio Cannavaro before the tournament, replacing the coach who actually got them here, is a separate conversation and one that has generated plenty of scepticism.
What is clear is that Uzbekistan have genuine players, Khusanov at the back has a future in European football, Shomurodov leads the line with real quality, and Fayzullaev showed glimpses of ability going forward. The foundation is there. The gap between where they are now and where Portugal are is enormous, but Uzbekistan is a young, developing football nation and this World Cup experience, painful as it is, will count for something.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0 in their Group K clash.
While Portugal have several world-class talents, Ronaldo showed against Uzbekistan that he remains one of the team’s most decisive players, scoring twice and leading the attack effectively.
Portugal remain among the tournament favourites due to their squad depth and attacking quality, though tougher tests lie ahead against stronger opposition.
Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leão are all key players capable of influencing matches at the highest level.
Portugal’s next Group K fixture is against Colombia, a match that could decide who finishes top of the group.
Amar Pal Singh Bhalla is a sports writer covering cricket, football and tennis.
Based in India, he has followed the game for the last few years and writes
match analysis, previews and features for Beyond The Score
