Cristiano Ronaldo hadn’t scored in Portugal’s World Cup opener against DR Congo. Neither had Bruno Fernandes. The questions were already forming about whether this Portugal team could handle the pressure of a group stage that was suddenly tighter than anyone expected.
They answered emphatically on Tuesday. Portugal demolished Uzbekistan 5-0, and it wasn’t even that close.
Ronaldo scored twice before halftime, the first a sublime finish inside six minutes that settled everything right away. Nuno Mendes curled a free kick into the bottom corner to make it 2-0. Then Ronaldo finished off a rapid counter-attack just before the break, with Fernandes providing the assist. That’s the Fernandes his club teammates have seen all season at Manchester United. Not the guy who looked a step slow against Congo.
Fernandes Back to His Annoying Best
The United captain was everywhere against Uzbekistan. He touched the ball 94 times, completed 85 percent of his passes, and put six crosses into the box. He created two big chances, won every aerial duel he contested, and completed all of his take-ons. That’s the kind of stat line that makes opponents hate playing against him and teammates love having him on their side.
His work off the ball was just as sharp. Three defensive contributions and one progressive carry — numbers that don’t jump off the page but tell the real story of a player who was locked in for all 90 minutes.
A Nematov own goal made it 4-0 around the hour mark, and substitute Rafael Leão fired into the top corner late to put an exclamation point on the whole thing.
Fernandes nearly had an opener himself on a sweeping team move, but he couldn’t quite direct his finish on target. It didn’t matter. The performance sent a message.
What This Means for Portugal’s World Cup Hopes
Portugal came into this tournament as one of the deeper teams in the field. The draw against DR Congo in the opener raised real questions about whether they had the mental toughness to grind through the group stage. This win doesn’t answer everything — Uzbekistan is not a World Cup heavyweight — but it shows that when Ronaldo and Fernandes are clicking, this team can put up goals in a hurry.
The group is still wide open. Portugal faces a must-win scenario in their final group match to avoid an early exit, but the goal difference boost from this blowout gives them breathing room. The Selecao look dangerous again. Fernandes looks like himself again. For Portugal fans, that’s the most important takeaway.
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