Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan — World Cup

World Cup
Portugal
5
Final
0
Uzbekistan
Full time

Cristiano Ronaldo heard the whispers about his age and answered with a first-half double.

The 41-year-old captain scored twice to lead Portugal to a dominant 5-0 victory over debutants Uzbekistan.

After a frustrating opening draw, Portugal needed a statement. All eyes were on , who faced Uzbekistan's 22-year-old Manchester City defender . Ronaldo wasted no time. He scored in the sixth minute off a assist, then added a second before halftime. Nuno Mendes, an own goal from A. Nematov, and a late strike from Rafael Leão completed the 5-0 rout. 's side completely bypassed 's defensive block.

— and get this
This 5-0 thrashing was the first-ever senior international meeting between Portugal and Uzbekistan.
The victory broke Portugal's AFC curse, after they failed to win their previous two World Cup matches against Asian opponents.
Uzbekistan made history at this tournament as the first doubly landlocked nation to ever qualify for a World Cup.