Ronaldo fires Portugal past Uzbekistan, Colombia reaches knockout stage

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal overwhelmed Uzbekistan 5-0 at Houston Stadium, a result that made the Group K picture look far more dangerous for the rest of the field. Colombia, meanwhile, beat Congo DR 1-0 in Guadalajara Stadium to move into the knockout stage, but without the same level of control Portugal showed.

FIFA had grouped Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan and Congo DR together before the tournament, and the draw was framed around Ronaldo’s record sixth World Cup appearance. Portugal’s route through the first stage has now gone from a 1-1 opening draw with Congo DR, when João Neves scored in the sixth minute and Yoane Wissa equalized in first-half stoppage time, to a five-goal response against Uzbekistan that underlined how quickly its ceiling is rising.

That first match in Houston also carried a small World Cup milestone for Congo DR, which claimed its first goal and first point in the competition. Sébastien Desabre had said before kick-off that he hoped Ronaldo would score, but not against his side, and Portugal have since answered with a performance that looked far more ruthless than the one-point start suggested.

Colombia’s path has been different. FIFA had singled out Luis Díaz as the central figure in its pre-tournament coverage, and Colombia backed that billing in a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, with Daniel Muñoz opening the scoring, Díaz adding another and Jaminton Campaz finishing the job with a 99th-minute header. That win, plus the 1-0 result over Congo DR, pushed Colombia into the knockout stage while exposing how much the team still leans on moments rather than sustained dominance.

The next test now shifts to the June 27 meeting between Colombia and Portugal in Houston, where the contrast is sharp. Portugal arrive with Ronaldo in form and a 5-0 scoreline behind them; Colombia arrive with results in hand, but still with enough uneven edges to suggest the tournament has not yet seen their best or their safest version.