Veteran star Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to a crushing 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan on Tuesday in the second round of Group 11 fixtures at the 2026 World Cup qualifying finals, scoring twice, with the remaining goals shared between Nuno Mendes, an own goal by goalkeeper Abdulvohid Nematov, and Rafael Leão.
Portugal struck back forcefully after stumbling in the opening round against the Democratic Republic of Congo (1-1), lifting their tally to 4 points and moving significantly closer to the second round, while Uzbekistan were eliminated early after suffering their second consecutive defeat following a 1-3 loss to Colombia in the opening fixture.
Portugal entered the match with clear attacking intent, and Ronaldo nearly opened the scoring in the 4th minute when he squandered a close-range opportunity, before making swift amends just 2 minutes later. Latching onto a precise cross from João Cancelo, he turned it into the net with a touch inside the penalty area to give his side an early lead.
The Portuguese continued to press Uzbekistan's defence, with Nuno Mendes doubling the advantage in the 17th minute with a powerful free-kick that settled in the bottom corner of the goal, as the Asian side appeared unable to match the high tempo set by their opponents.
Uzbekistan attempted to re-enter the contest when Aziz Ganiev scored in the 29th minute, but the referee disallowed the goal following a VAR review on the grounds of an infringement during the build-up.
Portugal capitalised on their opponents' disarray and added a third goal 6 minutes before half-time, when Ronaldo burst forward on a swift counter-attack and received a through ball from Bruno Fernandes before confidently finishing into the far corner for his second personal goal of the match.
Portugal entered the second half with greater composure, maintaining their control of play and continuing to create chances. The sustained pressure bore fruit with a fourth goal in the 60th minute after goalkeeper Abdulvohid Nematov failed to deal with a dangerous ball and inadvertently turned it into his own net.
Despite the sizeable scoreline, the Seleção continued to search for more goals, with Ronaldo and João Félix both wasting more than one clear-cut opportunity, while the Uzbek goalkeeper excelled in repelling several attempts.
Three minutes before the end of normal time, substitute Rafael Leão brought the goal feast to a close with a powerful strike from the centre of the penalty area into the top corner, confirming Portugal's complete dominance.
Portugal now need a positive result against Colombia in the third round to formally guarantee their passage to the round of 16, while Uzbekistan play their final match against the Democratic Republic of Congo in a bid to salvage some pride after their elimination hopes came to an end.