Cristiano Ronaldo has scored at six different World Cups. No player in history has done that before. Not Pelé, not Messi, not anyone.
Portugal’s 5-0 dismantling of Uzbekistan at NRG Stadium in Houston on Tuesday was comfortable from start to finish. Uzbekistan were never in the game. But the match will be remembered for one number above all others.
The record explained
Ronaldo scored at the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and now 2026 World Cups. Six consecutive tournaments, six goals in the world’s biggest competition. Lionel Messi held the previous record with five. No other outfield player had managed more than four.
Ronaldo’s first goal came early, a short-range finish inside the opening minutes. He added a second before half-time to complete his brace. Nuno Mendes converted from a clever free-kick routine to make it three. An Abduvohid Nematov own goal added a fourth. Rafael Leão came off the bench to hammer in a fifth.
Uzbekistan had no answer at any stage. The margin could have been higher.
Group K after Tuesday
| Team | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 6 |
| Portugal | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +5 | 4 |
| DR Congo | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
| Uzbekistan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -7 | 0 |
Uzbekistan are eliminated. They have conceded eight goals in two games and have -7 goal difference. Portugal and Colombia are both through to the Round of 32.
Colombia top the group on six points after two wins, including a 1-0 defeat of DR Congo on the same evening. Portugal sit second with a goal difference of +5. On form, Colombia look strong. Portugal showed their firepower against limited opposition.
What comes next
Portugal and Colombia meet in Matchday 3 on June 27 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Both teams are already qualified; the match decides who tops the group. Top spot carries implications for the knockout draw, so neither side will treat this as a dead rubber.
Uzbekistan play DR Congo in Atlanta on the same date. DR Congo need a result to secure their own passage through.
The Ronaldo question
There will be those who note the quality of the opposition, Uzbekistan conceded eight goals in two games and are ranked well below Portugal’s level. That observation is fair.
But scoring at a sixth World Cup is not really about the opponent. It is about staying fit, staying at the level, and remaining important to your national team for 20 years. Messi managed five tournaments. Ronaldo has now done six.
Whatever happens to Portugal from here, that record belongs to him alone.
Portugal next: Colombia vs Portugal, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, 27 June 2026.
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