Uzbekistan suffers heavy defeat against Portugal in World Cup group stage

Uzbekistan’s national football team suffered a heavy defeat against a formidable Portuguese side on June 23, losing their second Group K match of the 2026 World Cup. The national team struggled to contain the European powerhouse in Houston, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting twice to spearhead Portugal’s attack.

Photo: REUTERS

The match got off to a difficult start for Uzbekistan when Cristiano Ronaldo capitalized on a defensive error to open the scoring in just the 6th minute. Portugal quickly doubled their lead in the 17th minute when Nuno Mendes converted a precise free kick.

Uzbekistan thought they had pulled one back in the 29th minute when Aziz Ganiev unleashed a powerful long-range strike into the back of the net. However, following a VAR review, the referee disallowed the goal, ruling that Abbosbek Fayzullaev had committed a foul in the buildup to the shot.

Portugal extended their lead further in the 39th minute when Ronaldo found himself nearly one-on-one with the goalkeeper, making it 3–0 before the break.

The momentum remained unchanged in the second half as Portugal continued to dominate possession and press forward. Disaster struck again for Uzbekistan in the 60th minute when goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net following a corner kick. Rafael Leão then capped off the scoring in the 87th minute to secure a 5–0 victory for Portugal.

Following this match, Portugal moves to 4 points in Group K, while Uzbekistan remains without a point. The national team will play their final group stage match on June 28 against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where they will look to keep their tournament hopes alive.