Ronaldo’s great record in the 6th World Cup: Portugal defeated Uzbekistan 5-0 by shutting down the criticism

Houston: Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest football players of all time, has once again proved that it is impossible to remove him from the field. Leaving behind the disappointment of the first match, 41-year-old Ronaldo gave a historic performance against Uzbekistan. Thanks to his two brilliant goals, Portugal defeated Uzbekistan 5-0 in this match.

First player in the world to score goals in 6 different World Cups

Ronaldo created history as soon as he entered this match. He has become the first footballer in the world to score goals in 6 different World Cups (2006 to 2026). For his brilliant performance, he was adjudged ‘Man of the Match’.

With this resounding win, Portugal now has 4 points in the group. The team will play its next and last group match against Colombia in Miami on Saturday.

Ronaldo’s befitting reply to his critics

Ronaldo and coach Roberto Martínez were the target of criticism after the first match against Congo was a 1-1 draw. Some people believed that Ronaldo should be dropped from the starting XI. But Ronaldo said in his philosophical style after the match:

“I have been playing for the last 23 years. When things are good people say ‘Cristiano is the best’, and when there are a few bad performances they say ‘he is old, he should retire.’ “Challenges are part of life and our goal is always to improve.”

Thrill of the match: This is how Portugal got a one-sided 5-0 victory

Sixth minute (1-0): Ronaldo opened Portugal’s account by scoring the first goal on a pass from Joao Cancelo.
17th minute (2-0): Nuno Mendes doubled the lead by converting a brilliant free-kick.
39th minute (3-0): Ronaldo scored his second goal of the match and the team’s third with his right foot on an excellent pass from Bruno Fernandes.
60th minute (4-0): Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov’s mistake led to an own goal and Portugal went ahead 4-0.
87th minute (5-0): Substitute player Rafael Leao scored a goal just four minutes after coming on the field, making the score 5-0.

Uzbekistan’s Azizjon Ganiev scored a goal in the 30th minute of the match, but it was ruled out after a VAR review, ending Uzbekistan’s hopes of a comeback.

Also read: FIFA World Cup 2026: Spain won 4-0 with goals from Yamal-Oyarzabal, Iran-Belgium match remained goalless