Ronaldo scores twice and sets World Cup record as Portugal demolish Uzbekistan 5-0

Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name further into World Cup history on Wednesday, becoming the first player to score in six different tournaments as Portugal dismantled Uzbekistan 5-0 in their second Group Stage fixture.

Ronaldo had endured a muted opening game against DR Congo, but he wasted little time making his mark here. After just six minutes, former Manchester City full-back João Cancelo flew down the right and delivered an inch-perfect cross that Ronaldo lashed home first time. The goal was his 145th in 229 international appearances and arrived less than 24 hours after his great rival Lionel Messi scored twice against Austria to claim the outright World Cup scoring record from Miroslav Klose, taking his tournament tally to 18.

Ronaldo’s second came six minutes before half-time, when Bruno Fernandes — in the kind of form that has defined his season at Manchester United — slid a sublime pass into the inside-left channel for Ronaldo to finish low and hard past goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov. The brace moved Ronaldo to five goals for the tournament and back into contention in the Golden Boot race.

Uzbekistan had briefly threatened to make a game of it when Aziz G’aniev rifled a spectacular effort into the top corner from 25 yards just before the half-hour mark, only for VAR to intervene. The referee reviewed the incident pitchside and ruled that Abbosbek Fayzullaev had fouled Cancelo in the build-up, wiping the goal from the scoresheet.

Nuno Mendes had already added Portugal’s second before the break, striking low past Nematov from a free-kick position that had all the hallmarks of a Ronaldo set-piece — the 39-year-old was standing over the ball in his trademark pose before Mendes stepped in.

Nematov produced his best moment of the evening on the hour mark, rushing off his line to deny Ronaldo a hat-trick after Fernandes had chipped a free-kick into his path. The reprieve was short-lived, however, as Fernandes’ resulting corner caused chaos in the goalmouth and ended up in the net via an own goal credited to the Uzbek keeper.

Ronaldo had further chances to complete the hat-trick, including one after he dispossessed Nematov from a clearance, but the scoreline ultimately remained at 5-0 — a commanding win that moves Portugal firmly back on track in their World Cup campaign and keeps Ronaldo’s rivalry with Messi burning as brightly as ever.