Cristiano Ronaldo on the double as Portugal get first win of 2026 FIFA World Cup

The win was badly needed for the Portuguese after coming into the contest under heavy scrutiny following a 1-1 draw against Democratic Republic of Congo in their tournament opener.

Head coach Roberto Martinez was forced to bat away questions of disharmony within the squad, insisting that everyone was on the same page and wanted to make a positive statement.

The start could not have gone any better for the European side when they took the lead in the sixth minute as Joao Cancelo's cross was swept in by Ronaldo.

It was 2-0 after 17 minutes when Nuno Mendes' low free kick hit the back of the net before Ronaldo completed his brace six minutes before half-time.

With the double strike the Portuguese superstar became his country's leading goal-scorer in World Cups with 11, going past another great of the game, Eusebio.

Portugal carried on dominating after the interval and the fourth goal went in on the hour mark when Abduvohid Nematov put the ball into his own net.

Ronaldo had a few opportunities to complete his hat-trick but was denied by the Uzbekistan goalkeeper.

The rout was done three minutes before full-time substitute Rafael Leao came off the bench to grab his goal, rifling an effort into the top corner.

Portugal will complete their group stage fixtures against Colombia on Sunday while Uzbekistan take on DR Congo.

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