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Cristiano Ronaldo declared "we are here" after his record-breaking brace inspired Portugal to a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their Group K FIFA World Cup 2026 clash on Tuesday (local time) at Houston Stadium.
Ronaldo led Portugal's charge with two goals, while Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao also found the net. An own goal involving Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov further compounded the misery for Fabio Cannavaro's side as Roberto Martinez's men secured their first win of the tournament in emphatic fashion. The result came as a strong response from Portugal after they were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their opening group-stage encounter in a performance that put Ronaldo's team under scrutiny. The victory helped Portugal get their World Cup campaign back on track and significantly boosted their goal difference ahead of the final group fixture. The win also marked an important turnaround for Ronaldo following a difficult outing against DR Congo, where the veteran forward struggled to influence proceedings. Following his Player of the Match-winning performance against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo shared multiple photographs on X and captioned the post, "We are here!" https://x.com/Cristiano/status/2069498273346310313?s=20 The post came shortly after Portugal's dominant victory and reflected the team's response after a disappointing start to their campaign. Notably, Ronaldo was also seen saying "I am back" after the match, according to a video shared by football media platform 433 on its Instagram page. https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ8ILKKkZz7/?igsh=MWRxcjJmcWNlbWZ5Yg%3D%3D&img_index=1 Coming to the match, Portugal produced a dominant all-round performance to defeat Uzbekistan, taking control early with Ronaldo opening the scoring in the 6th minute before Nuno Mendes added a stunning free-kick and Ronaldo struck again to make it 3-0 before half-time. After the break, Uzbekistan rarely threatened, with Portugal continuing to dominate possession and extending their lead in the 60th minute through an own goal following a Joao Felix flick from a Bruno Fernandes corner. Substitute Rafael Leao added a fifth goal late on to complete a comprehensive 5-0 victory. The win earned Portugal three important points and strengthened their position in the group, while also boosting their goal difference ahead of the final group match. Notably, Ronaldo's brace saw him reach historic milestones, becoming Portugal's all-time leading World Cup scorer with 10 goals and the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments. (ANI)
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