Overview
- Portugal routed Uzbekistan 5-0 on Tuesday with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice and becoming the first player to score in six separate World Cup tournaments.
- Ronaldo’s double brought his World Cup tally to double digits and ended scrutiny over his form after Portugal’s opening draw with DR Congo.
- The victory put Portugal on four points and improved its goal difference, but the team is not yet guaranteed to reach the round of 16 and will face Colombia on June 27 to decide qualification scenarios.
- Colombia beat the Democratic Republic of Congo to reach six points and clinch a place in the round of 16, while England’s 0-0 draw with Ghana left Group L unsettled.
- Coach Roberto Martínez’s decision to start Ronaldo while leaving Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leão on the bench drew attention before the match and was seen as justified by Portugal’s dominant performance, while Uzbekistan’s heavy loss leaves the debutants with long odds to advance.