Portugal wasted no time asserting dominance in Santa Clara. Ronaldo opened the scoring after just six minutes, smashing in a half-volley from João Cancelo’s cross to become the first men’s player to score at six different World Cups.
Nuno Mendes then curled in a clever free-kick to double the lead, before Abdukodir Khusanov’s own goal early in the second half made it 3-0. Ronaldo struck again to seal his brace Softfootball reports, and substitute Rafael Leão added a late fifth to complete the rout to ensure Roberto Martinez’s side bounced back from their disappointing opening draw with DR Congo.
Uzbekistan, who had shown resilience in their opener against Colombia, were overwhelmed by Portugal’s attacking quality and struggled to create meaningful chances.
Player Ratings
Portugal
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Diogo Costa | 7.5 |
| João Cancelo | 8.0 |
| Rúben Dias | 8.0 |
| Renato Veiga | 7.0 |
| Nuno Mendes | 8.5 |
| Vitinha | 7.0 |
| João Neves | 7.0 |
| Pedro Neto | 6.5 |
| Bruno Fernandes | 8.5 |
| João Félix | 7.5 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 9.0 (Player of the Match) |
| Bernardo Silva | 6.5 |
| Nélson Semedo | 6.5 |
| Rafael Leão | 7.5 |
| Trincão | 6.0 |
| Francisco Conceição | 7.0 |
Uzbekistan
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Abduvokhid Nematov | 5.0 |
| Rustam Ashurmatov | 5.5 |
| Abdulla Abdullaev | 5.5 |
| Abdukodir Khusanov | 6.5 |
| Bekhruz Karimov | 6.5 |
| Sherzod Nasrullaev | 6.0 |
| Otabek Shukurov | 5.5 |
| Odiljon Khamrobekov | 5.5 |
| Aziz G’aniev | 6.0 |
| Abbosbek Fayzullaev | 6.5 |
| Eldor Shomurodov | 6.5 |
| Igor Sergeev | 6.0 |
| Khojiakbar Alijonov | 6.0 |
| Ruslanbek Jiyanov | 6.0 |
| Sherzod Esanov | 6.0 |
| Akmal Mozgovoy | 6.0 |
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Portugal | Uzbekistan |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 66% | 34% |
| Total Shots | 17 | 6 |
| Shots on Target | 9 | 2 |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 2.91 | 0.54 |
| Fouls Committed | 10 | 12 |
| Yellow Cards | 1 | 2 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Corners | 7 | 3 |
| Saves | 2 | 4 |
