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Houston: Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals to help Portugal roll to a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan at the World Cup, bouncing back after a disappointing performance in the team’s opening match.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo became the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments with his goals, adding another impressive accomplishment to his storied career. He was named man of the match.
The victory gives Portugal four points in Group K. Colombia, which has three points in the group, plays Congo later in Guadalajara.
Some critics questioned if Ronaldo should remain in the starting lineup after a forgettable performance in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with Congo. But coach Roberto Martínez stuck with the superstar and his decision paid off almost immediately with Ronaldo putting the team up 1-0 in the sixth minute.
He put João Cancelo’s cross into the net with his right foot to make his latest mark on history. Ronaldo then made his signature SIUUU celebration before running toward the bench and celebrating with his teammates.
Ronaldo scored again in the 39th minute when he got a pass from Bruno Fernandes and scored with his right foot just inside the near post to make it 3-0. Nuno Mendes had made it 2-0 off a free kick in the 17th minute.
Portugal took a 4-0 lead on an own-goal in the 60th minute. Rafael Leão, who entered the game in the 83rd, extended the advantage to 5-0 in the 87th minute. He crouched down, smiled and posed for the camera after his score.
Uzbekistan midfielder Azizjon Ganiev looked to have scored in the 30th minute, but it was overturned after a video review showed Abbosbek Fayzullaev fouled João Cancelo just before the play.
While Martínez kept Ronaldo as a starter, he did make two changes to the lineup. He benched midfielder Bernardo Silva for João Félix and started defender Rúben Dias, who sat out the opener with an injury, over Tomas Araújo.
Ronaldo had a great chance to score in the fourth minute when he took a cross from Mendes and just missed with his right foot as he slid to the grass. He shook his head and made a hand gesture indicating it was close.
But it wasn’t long before he scored put Portugal on top.
He had a chance for a hat trick at the end of second-half injury time, but his shot was just off.
Uzbekistan next plays on Saturday night in Atlanta against Congo. Portugal’s final group match is against Colombia on Saturday night in Miami.
AP
Next match is England versus Ghana at 6am, and Three Lions coach Thomas Tuchel has tinkered with his defensive line for it. Tottenham full back Djed Spence will start along with centre half Marc Guehi. The pair replace Nico O’Reilly and John Stones from their opening round 4-2 win over Croatia.
Jude Bellingham will become England’s youngest player to reach 50 caps in this match.
For Ghana, coach Carlos Queiroz also starts midfielder Thomas Partey, who was denied a Canadian visa for the Panama game. Partey is facing seven charges of rape and two of sexual assault in Britain. He has denied the allegations.
England: Jordan Pickford; Djed Spence, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane (C), Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke.
Ghana: Benjamin Asare, Jonas Adjetey, Gideon Mensah, Jerome Opoku, Marvin Senaya, Caleb Yirenkyi, Antoine Semenyo, Thomas Partey, Kwasi Sibo, Jordan Ayew (C), Inaki Williams.
Houston: Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals to help Portugal roll to a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan at the World Cup, bouncing back after a disappointing performance in the team’s opening match.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo became the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments with his goals, adding another impressive accomplishment to his storied career. He was named man of the match.
The victory gives Portugal four points in Group K. Colombia, which has three points in the group, plays Congo later in Guadalajara.
Some critics questioned if Ronaldo should remain in the starting lineup after a forgettable performance in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with Congo. But coach Roberto Martínez stuck with the superstar and his decision paid off almost immediately with Ronaldo putting the team up 1-0 in the sixth minute.
He put João Cancelo’s cross into the net with his right foot to make his latest mark on history. Ronaldo then made his signature SIUUU celebration before running toward the bench and celebrating with his teammates.
Rafael Leao scores Portugal’s fifth.
Nelson Semedo makes a run to the touchline and cuts the ball back – it appeared as if he was aiming for Ronaldo in the hope he might get his hat trick, but instead it finds Leao, who has no one around him and smacks the ball into the top corner.
The fact that Ronaldo is still out there so late in the game with the result beyond doubt proves the veteran wants this hat trick, but he’s in a race against the clock now.
Portugal 5 – Uzbekistan 0, 89th minute
A football commentator has been stripped of his World Cup credentials by FIFA after an expletive-laden tirade against the organisation and match officials during Paraguay’s 1-0 victory over Turkey when Miguel Almiron was sent off.
Jorge Chipi Vera lost his composure on live television when Paraguay’s Almiron became the first player sent off at the tournament for violating a strict new rule that forbids covering mouths during on-field confrontations.
Almiron was dismissed for remarks made to Turkey’s Mert Muldur with his hand covering his mouth in first-half stoppage time.
The furious broadcaster called FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the referee “thieves”, accusing them of “killing football” as Paraguay were reduced to 10 men, but he later apologised and said on X that his accreditation had been cancelled.
The US is easing its restrictions on Iran’s World Cup team, allowing the squad to travel into the country two days before its next match, the US Department of Homeland Security said.
The team will still be required to leave after its last group stage match in Seattle, a department spokesperson said.
“This was planned on our end,” Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said. “We were going to look at how the first two movements went, and if they went smoothly, we would extend the extra day in light of the longer travel time.”
Iran’s squad has complained about the travel restrictions imposed on the team and the challenges it has faced since the outbreak of war. For the first two matches, in Los Angeles, the team was not permitted to travel until the day before. The team’s base camp was relocated from Tucson, Arizona, to Mexico. Several team officials and members of the support staff were barred from travelling into the US with the team.
Ronaldo goes close to getting his hat trick but is denied by a Abduvohid Nematov save, the keeper also catching the veteran Portuguese striker in the process. Ronaldo makes a claim for a penalty, but Nematov touched the ball first.
Instead, it is a corner, which Bruno Fernandes whips in low, when it is flicked on by Joao Flelix, followed by a bit of a scrap that ends when Nematov seems to knock it into the back of his own net.
Portugal 4 – Uzbekistan 0, 60th minute.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed plans to include US President Donald Trump in the trophy presentation ceremonies at the World Cup Final.
“We will be together with the president, enjoying the final, and handing the trophy to the winner — of course, together,” Infantino said on an interview with US news talk show Fox and Friends.
Asked to clarify that he and Trump would present the trophy together at the match on July 20 (AEST) in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Infantino added: “Of course. We are together all the time.”
Trump notably participated in the ceremony at last year’s Club World Cup final when Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 at the same venue.
Cristiano Ronaldo has responded to criticism of his performance in Portugal’s first match, scoring twice as his side took a 3-0 lead over Uzbekistan in the opening half of their Group K match in Houston.
Ronaldo scored the opening goal after six minutes when he put a Joao Cancelo cross in at the near post to give Portugal the lead. Portugal had a second 11 minutes later when a Nuno Mendes free kick bent into the bottom right corner. And the game was practically over in the 39th minute when Ronaldo got his second after Bruno Fernandes fed him a ball through to the right, which he pushed past Uzbekistan’s keeper
It is Ronaldo’s second World Cup brace, and he went close to making it three in 45 minutes when he had a shot cleared off the line right on half-time.
Portugal 3 – Uzbekistan 0, half-time
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 2026 World Cup.
Today sees the final matches in the second round of the group stages – with Portugal versus Uzbekistan already underway in Houston in a Group K. Portugal is leading 3-0, thanks to a first-half brace from Cristiano Ronaldo.
At 6am (AEST), England will look to top Group L when they play Ghana in Boston, while first-up losers in that group, Panama and Croatia, play at 9am. Then it is the second Group K clash between Colombia and Congo DR starting at 12pm.
