{"id":184752,"date":"2026-06-23T18:01:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T23:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=184752"},"modified":"2026-06-23T18:01:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T23:31:48","slug":"ronaldo-scores-twice-as-portugal-thrash-uzbekistan-5-0-at-world-cup-2026-world-cup-2026-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=184752","title":{"rendered":"Ronaldo scores twice as Portugal thrash Uzbekistan 5-0 at World Cup 2026 | World Cup 2026 News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p class=\"p1\">Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in six World Cup campaigns and silenced his critics as the Portugal captain struck twice in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/liveblog\/2026\/6\/23\/portugal-vs-uzbekistan-live-world-cup-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">5-0 annihilation<\/a> of Uzbekistan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The big win in Houston on Tuesday put Portugal on the brink of the knockout rounds and was a resounding response to the 41-year-old\u2019s doubters.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p class=\"p1\">Ronaldo\u2019s goal after six minutes made history \u2013 trumping even Lionel Messi \u2013 as he scored at six World Cups stretching back to 2006.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus ace pulled out his trademark \u201csiu\u201d celebration and let out a throaty roar in front of 68,777 fans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">After Nuno Mendes made it 2-0, Ronaldo neatly got his second with a cool finish six minutes before the break.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">That took him to 10 World Cup goals, more than any other Portuguese player including the great Eusebio.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Ronaldo came into the group encounter against tournament debutants Uzbekistan with 143 goals, the most in international men\u2019s football.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">But once widely regarded as a competitor to Argentina\u2019s Messi for the unofficial title of world\u2019s best player, he has seen his powers go on the wane at the highest level.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">He had limited service in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/17\/portugal-held-to-1-1-draw-by-dr-congo-in-their-world-cup-2026-opener\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">disappointing 1-1 draw<\/a> with the Democratic Republic of the Congo to start Portugal\u2019s World Cup title bid.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">But when he did have two chances, he missed the target, igniting calls for coach Roberto Martinez to drop him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">His travails in front of goal were in glaring contrast to the likes of Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, who all made lightning starts to the World Cup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">But Martinez has stuck defiantly by his skipper, who was given a rapturous reception when he came out to warm up at Houston Stadium in Texas in the US, and again each time he appeared on the big screens.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ronaldo-s-day\" class=\"p1\">Ronaldo\u2019s day<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p2\">Ronaldo nearly pounced after just three minutes, narrowly failing to make contact at the far post after a cross by Mendes. Ronaldo slapped the turf in frustration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">He did not have to wait long for his goal, swivelling on the six-yard box to meet a cross from Joao Cancelo and smash the ball beyond goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The outclassed Uzbeks, coached by the Italian 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, were perfect opponents for Ronaldo to rediscover his scoring boots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">It was 2-0 at 17 minutes when Mendes curled in a free kick.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The Uzbeks thought they had pulled one back, after a screamer by Aziz Ganiev, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR intervention for a foul on Cancelo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">It was Ronaldo\u2019s day, and he rolled in a third with only the goalkeeper to beat with a smart, controlled finish.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">He might have had a third following an intricate free-kick routine, but Nematov denied him, clattering into the veteran attacker in the process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">From the resulting corner, it was 4-0, with Ronaldo in the thick of it again before the ball went in off Nematov for an own goal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Substitute Rafael Leao scored an emphatic fifth in the 87th minute.<\/p>\n<p>Ronaldo told reporters after the game that he was delighted to see a huge improvement in his team\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very happy. But for me, the most important thing is our work and the confidence we showed. The team performed really well and improved a lot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cObviously, speaking personally, records are always nice, but my goal is always to help the national team achieve its objectives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Portugal\u2019s final group match is on Saturday against Colombia, who beat the Uzbeks 3-1.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Colombia meet DR Congo later Tuesday in Group K, knowing a win will propel them into the last 32.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/23\/ronaldo-scores-twice-as-portugal-thrash-uzbekistan-5-0-at-world-cup-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in six World Cup campaigns and silenced his critics as the Portugal captain struck twice in a 5-0 annihilation of Uzbekistan. The&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":184753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-184752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/reuters_6a3ac61b-1782236699_e43990-1782242221.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":184672,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=184672","url_meta":{"origin":184752,"position":0},"title":"Portugal vs Uzbekistan LIVE Score, FIFA World Cup 2026: Ronaldo\u2019s brace guides POR to 5-0 win vs UZB | Football News","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Today Live Score: Cristiano Ronaldo silenced his critics as he slammed a brace while Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao scored one each as Portugal defeat Uzbekistan 5-0. The remaining goal was scored by Abdukodir Khusanov who put it into his own net during a melee\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;National News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CR7-LIVE-WC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CR7-LIVE-WC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CR7-LIVE-WC.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CR7-LIVE-WC.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CR7-LIVE-WC.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CR7-LIVE-WC.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":184183,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=184183","url_meta":{"origin":184752,"position":1},"title":"Messi breaks World Cup\u2019s all-time scoring record with 17th goal vs Austria | World Cup 2026 News","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Messi is now the tournament's all-time and current edition's leading goalscorer with 17 and four goals respectively. Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026 Lionel Messi has broken the record for the highest number of goals in the history of the FIFA World Cup after scoring his team\u2019s opening goal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;National News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-22T175125Z_376810902_UP1EM6M1DLNGN_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ARG-AUT-1782152262.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-22T175125Z_376810902_UP1EM6M1DLNGN_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ARG-AUT-1782152262.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-22T175125Z_376810902_UP1EM6M1DLNGN_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ARG-AUT-1782152262.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-22T175125Z_376810902_UP1EM6M1DLNGN_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ARG-AUT-1782152262.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-22T175125Z_376810902_UP1EM6M1DLNGN_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ARG-AUT-1782152262.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-22T175125Z_376810902_UP1EM6M1DLNGN_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ARG-AUT-1782152262.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":184206,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=184206","url_meta":{"origin":184752,"position":2},"title":"Lionel Messi scores brace as Argentina beat Austria 2\u20130 at World Cup 2026 | World Cup 2026 News","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Messi scores twice to become all-time leading scorer in men\u2019s World Cup history as Argentina reach knockout rounds. Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026 Lionel Messi became the leading scorer in World Cup history as the captain struck twice to give Argentina a 2-0 win over Austria and send\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;National News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/reuters_6a3986c1-1782154945.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/reuters_6a3986c1-1782154945.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/reuters_6a3986c1-1782154945.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/reuters_6a3986c1-1782154945.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/reuters_6a3986c1-1782154945.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/reuters_6a3986c1-1782154945.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":184161,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=184161","url_meta":{"origin":184752,"position":3},"title":"Argentina vs Austria, FIFA World Cup 2026 Live Score: ARG vs AUT World Cup Match Today","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Argentina vs Austria FIFA World Cup 2026 Live Score: ARG take on AUT in Texas. (AP)FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Today Live Score: Lionel Messi has scored his record-breaking 17th goal at FIFA World Cups, after missing a penalty kick early in the game in Argentina\u2019s group stage clash with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;National News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ARG-LIVE.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ARG-LIVE.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ARG-LIVE.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ARG-LIVE.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ARG-LIVE.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ARG-LIVE.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":179519,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=179519","url_meta":{"origin":184752,"position":4},"title":"Mexico vs South Africa Live, FIFA World Cup: 3 red cards, 2 goals, &amp; win for MEX &#8211; The Indian Express","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Mexico vs South Africa Live, FIFA World Cup: 3 red cards, 2 goals, & win for MEX\u00a0\u00a0The Indian ExpressMexico beats South Africa in World Cup opener amid 3 red cards\u00a0\u00a0espn.inMexico vs South Africa Highlights, FIFA World Cup 2026: Opening match highlights\u00a0\u00a0The HinduJulian Quinones: Mexico Star, Who Outscored Cristiano Ronaldo, Is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;National News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/J6_coFbogxhRI9iM864NL_liGXvsQp2AupsKei7z0cNNfDvGUmWUy20nuUhkREQyrpY4bEeIBucs0-w300-rw.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":177107,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=177107","url_meta":{"origin":184752,"position":5},"title":"Rohit doesn\u2019t need to prove himself ahead of World Cup, says childhood coach Dinesh Lad","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Dinesh Lad, the formative coach of former India captain Rohit Sharma, believes the batsman should ignore critics questioning his fitness and form, and simply enjoy his game to return stronger in his favourite World Cup format next year. Rohit has faced a dip in his recent ODI form, managing just\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/11908_22_9_2023_14_14_44_2_EMM_7863.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/11908_22_9_2023_14_14_44_2_EMM_7863.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/11908_22_9_2023_14_14_44_2_EMM_7863.JPG?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/11908_22_9_2023_14_14_44_2_EMM_7863.JPG?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/11908_22_9_2023_14_14_44_2_EMM_7863.JPG?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgnRh4-M3S","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=184752"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184752\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/184753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=184752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=184752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=184752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}