The evening session of June 23 opened with a stunning scoreline as Portugal claimed a dominant victory: Portugal – Uzbekistan 5-0. Cristiano Ronaldo wrote his name into the history books of football, while the Seleção comfortably moved to the top of Group K.
Portugal – Uzbekistan 5-0 (Group K)
The match in Houston turned into a Ronaldo showcase from the very first minutes. In the 5th–6th minute, the 41-year-old Portugal captain struck with his right foot — becoming the first footballer in history to score at six different World Cups. He also became the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history. Before the break, Ronaldo completed a brace, while Nuno Mendes added a goal from a free kick, finding the bottom-left corner. Uzbekistan had virtually no chance of a response — the Portuguese controlled the ball and the space throughout the entire match.
The final score of 5-0 was confirmed after the final whistle at around 22:43 Kyiv time. Portugal's goalscorers: Cristiano Ronaldo (brace), Nuno Mendes, and two other members of the squad — details on the remaining goals are being confirmed.
Tournament implications: Portugal have 4 points and lead Group K. Uzbekistan remain pointless with a goal difference of −7 and are effectively eliminated from contention for the knockout stage. Colombia (3 points) still have a match to play against DR Congo late at night — the result of that game will determine the final picture in the group.
Currently in progress
At 23:00 Kyiv time, the Group L match England – Ghana kicked off (Foxborough, USA). Both sides have 3 points after the first round: the Three Lions thrashed Croatia 4-2, while the Black Stars snatched a late victory over Panama. At 02:00 Kyiv time, Panama – Croatia gets underway (Toronto), and at 05:00 — Colombia – DR Congo (Guadalajara). Results of these matches will be covered in the morning digest.
Photo: NBC News · Editorial (source)
