Uzbekistan's national team suffered a heavy 0-5 defeat to Portugal in their second Group K match of the 2026 World Cup, held in Houston, USA.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 6th minute from João Cancelo's assist and completed a brace in the 39th minute. Between his goals, Nuno Mendes scored from a free kick.

Ronaldo's first goal was historic: he became the first player to score at six different World Cups.

In the second half, Portugal extended the lead. First, a corner kick led to an own goal by Uzbekistan goalkeeper Aziz Nematov, and later Rafael Leão scored the fifth. Uzbekistan had a goal disallowed after a VAR review.

This was only Uzbekistan's second World Cup match ever. Their chances of advancing are purely mathematical. Finishing in the top two is impossible: Portugal has 4 points, and Colombia already has 3 before their match against DR Congo. The only realistic scenario is a win over DR Congo in the final round and hoping to be among the best third-placed teams. However, after two heavy defeats and a goal difference of 1:8, Uzbekistan not only needs a win but also favorable results in other groups.

Earlier, Uzbekistan lost to Colombia in their first World Cup match but scored their historic first goal in the tournament.

Source: podrobno.uz