Ronaldo’s double powers Portugal rout and extends World Cup record

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0, making him the first player to find the net in six different World Cups. The Portugal captain answered recent criticism with an early opener and another first-half finish.

Ronaldo struck after six minutes from a Joao Cancelo delivery, then added a second after Bruno Fernandes played him through. He was denied a first-half hat-trick by Abdukodir Khusanov’s goalline clearance, but Portugal still turned the match into a commanding response after their earlier 1-1 draw with DR Congo.

Nuno Mendes, an own goal by Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov and a late Rafael Leao goal completed the scoring. The result also added to Ronaldo’s list of tournament milestones: the source reports he is now the second-oldest World Cup goalscorer and has made 24 appearances at the competition.

Portugal’s final Group K match against Colombia is now set up as a decisive test for qualification and top spot. For editors and readers, the bigger question is whether this performance changes the conversation around Ronaldo’s role, or simply confirms that Portugal still rely heavily on his penalty-box impact.