HOUSTON – Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in six World Cups and Portugal’s all-time leading marksman at the global finals with two goals in Tuesday’s emphatic 5-0 Group K win over Uzbekistan in Houston.
The 41-year-old had failed to find the back of the net in his previous 10 games in major finals, but, allowed time and space in the box, was deadly in punishing Uzbekistan as he took his overall World Cup tally to 10 goals, moving past Eusebio on Portugal’s all-time list.
Ronaldo’s first in the sixth minute was a neat finish from six yards at the near post as he converted Joao Cancelo’s low cross, before placing a perfect pass from Bruno Fernandes into the far corner.
Nuno Mendes scored a superb free kick in between those two strikes, while the unfortunate Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov fumbled the ball into his own net and Rafael Leao added a late fifth in front of a full house of 68,777 fans.
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