Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan: Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first player to score at six World Cups

Portugal swept speech Uzbekistan 5-0 successful Houston to publication their spot among the favourites to beforehand from Group K, but the scoreline was astir secondary to what unfolded successful the sixth minute. 

Cristiano Ronaldo, scrutinised and second-guessed aft a blank against DR Congo, silenced each professional with a azygous right-footed decorativeness - and successful doing so, became the archetypal subordinate successful past to people astatine six antithetic World Cup tournaments.

The 41-year-old added a 2nd earlier fractional time, Rafael Leao wrapped up a commanding triumph precocious on, and Portugal are abruptly looking each inch a squad with genuine knockout ambitions.

Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan: What conscionable happened?

Roberto Martinez’s broadside were ruthless from the archetypal whistle, and it took hardly six minutes for Ronaldo to marque his mark.

Joao Cancelo drove down the close flank and delivered a precise debased transverse into the punishment area, wherever Ronaldo arrived to hook a first-time decorativeness conscionable wrong the adjacent post. The celebrations that followed were arsenic overmuch alleviation arsenic joy.

Nuno Mendes doubled the pb soon aft erstwhile helium buried a escaped footwear into the near corner, with Ronaldo magnanimously stepping speech to let his teammate to instrumentality the set-piece. 

Portugal’s 3rd arrived earlier the interruption - Bruno Fernandes threading a done shot for Ronaldo, who timed his tally perfectly and guided a composed decorativeness into the acold country for his brace.

Uzbekistan, to their credit, pushed for moments of their own. Azizjon Ganiev appeared to people a stunning long-range effort, lone for it to beryllium correctly ruled retired for a foul successful the build-up. An ain extremity from Abduvohid Nematov successful the 60th infinitesimal and Leao’s precocious onslaught completed the rout.

The effect was ne'er truly successful doubt. Portugal controlled the contention successful each department, and Uzbekistan had small reply to the gait and question of a squad yet firing connected each cylinders.

Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan: The large talking point

Just 7 days separated 2 precise antithetic versions of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Against DR Congo, helium chopped a frustrated fig - 3 shots, nary goals, and a show that reignited the acquainted statement astir whether a 41-year-old has immoderate spot successful a World Cup starting XI. Against Uzbekistan, the reply came wrong six minutes.

The archetypal extremity was the record-breaker. Ronaldo has present scored astatine the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups - a feat nary different subordinate successful the past of the tourney has managed. Not Pele. Not Messi. Not Klose. Not Ronaldo himself until today.

It is simply a statistic that spans a 20-year travel from a 21-year-old punishment against Iran successful Germany to a near-post decorativeness successful Houston astatine the property of 41. The breadth of it is astir intolerable to comprehend.

Ronaldo’s record: The bigger picture

The grounds lands astatine a peculiarly pointed infinitesimal successful the Ronaldo-Messi conversation.

Lionel Messi became the all-time starring World Cup scorer conscionable 24 hours earlier, taking his tally to 18 with a brace against Austria. Ronaldo present has 10 - the spread successful goals is considerable. But the six-tournament grounds belongs to Ronaldo alone. 

Messi, who failed to people astatine the 2010 tourney successful South Africa, cannot lucifer it.

At 41 years and 138 days, Ronaldo besides became the second-oldest scorer successful World Cup history, down lone Roger Milla, who was 42 erstwhile helium scored for Cameroon successful 1994. This is astir surely Ronaldo’s last World Cup. He appears determined to permission connected his ain terms.

For Portugal, the value extends beyond the idiosyncratic milestone. A archetypal triumph of the tourney - emphatic and convincing puts them successful a commanding presumption successful Group K heading into their last radical crippled against Colombia. The squad astir Ronaldo looks sharp, cohesive, and considerably much threatening than they did against Congo.

Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan: What happens next?

Portugal look Colombia successful their last Group K fixture, with progression to the knockout rounds wrong reach. A constituent would apt beryllium enough, though Martinez volition beryllium targeting a triumph to unafraid apical spot.

Uzbekistan’s destiny is nary longer successful their ain hands. They request DR Congo to neglect to bushed Colombia aboriginal contiguous - a effect that would springiness the Central Asian debutants a lifeline heading into the last circular of fixtures.