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On June 23, 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal secured a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their second Group K match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at a sold-out stadium in Houston, according to Qatar News Agency. The result lifted Portugal to four points atop the standings after an opening 1-1 draw with DR Congo while leaving Uzbekistan with zero points from two games. Ronaldo’s brace took his World Cup career tally to 10 goals and established him as the first player to score in six editions of the tournament.
Qatar News Agency reported that Ronaldo opened the scoring in the seventh minute and added his second goal in the 39th minute during a dominant first-half display. Nuno Mendes struck in the 17th minute to extend the lead before an own goal by Uzbekistan’s Abdulvahid Nematov in the 60th minute made it 4-0. Rafael Leao rounded out the scoring in the 87th minute as Portugal maintained control throughout the contest in Texas.
ESPN figures show Ronaldo has now appeared in 24 World Cup matches across six tournaments dating back to 2006 while accumulating 1,945 minutes on the field. At 41 years and 138 days old he became the second-oldest player ever to score in a World Cup and the oldest to register a multi-goal game in the competition according to Yahoo Sports. The Guardian noted in its match summary that the performance helped silence questions about his starting role that had surfaced after Portugal’s draw in their first group fixture.
Portugal delivered a commanding display by controlling possession creating repeated chances and varying its attacking options throughout the evening Yahoo Sports reported. Uzbekistan struggled to generate meaningful threats and will close its group-stage campaign against DR Congo according to the Qatar News Agency schedule. Portugal meanwhile prepares to face Colombia next week in what will decide its advancement path from Group K.
The win came in a Group K that also features Colombia and DR Congo with the latter involved in a later Tuesday match against Colombia Qatar News Agency stated. Ronaldo’s two goals brought his senior international total to 145 which leads Lionel Messi by 23 according to data compiled by ESPN. His achievement underscores a career that has now spanned from the 2006 tournament in Germany through to the 2026 edition hosted across North America.
Yahoo Sports reported that speculation about benching the 41-year-old forward had circulated following the opening draw but his early strike in the sixth minute against Uzbekistan quickly ended such debate. The match formed part of an expanded 2026 World Cup that has drawn significant global attention to venues including those in the United States. Uzbekistan’s campaign has so far failed to yield a point leaving the team at the bottom of the four-team group after two matches.
Further details from ESPN place Ronaldo’s six World Cup appearances as covering tournaments in 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 and 2026 with the latest goals arriving against an opponent ranked outside the traditional European and South American powerhouses. The Portuguese side has now recorded one win and one draw in the group while outscoring opponents 6-1 overall according to aggregated match statistics. Qatar News Agency added that the result positions Portugal favorably ahead of its remaining fixture against Colombia later in the group phase.
