Houston [US], June 24 (ANI): A total of 137 goals have now been scored across 45 group-stage matches in the FIFA World Cup 2026, making it the highest-ever tally in the group phase of a single edition of the tournament.
The figure breaks the previous record of 136 goals set during the 2014 World Cup, which was achieved over 48 group-stage matches, according to OptaJoe’s X handle.
The new benchmark was reached after Portugal’s dominant 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their latest group-stage fixture, a result that contributed to the ongoing high-scoring trend in the tournament.
With several group matches remaining, the goal tally is expected to rise further, potentially extending the record even more before the knockout stage begins.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo produced a record-breaking performance with a brace as Portugal registered a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan. Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao were also on the scoresheet, while an own goal involving Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov added to the Fabio Cannavaro men’s woes as Roberto Martinez’s side secured their first win of the tournament in emphatic fashion.
Speaking after the match, Ronaldo said the team showed significant progress from their opening match, which was a draw against DR Congo. While acknowledging that breaking records was special, he stressed that his main objective is always to help the national team achieve its goals.
“The team performed really well and improved a lot. As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Obviously, speaking personally, records are always nice but my goal is always to help the national team achieve its objectives," he said as quoted by Reuters.
Notably, 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.
Notably, Ronaldo’s brace saw him reach historic milestones, becoming Portugal’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with 10 goals, surpassing Eusebio’s mark of nine goals, and the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Coach Roberto Martinez said Portugal showed clear improvement against Uzbekistan, particularly in their decision-making and finishing. He praised the team’s attitude and commitment, adding that the lessons learned from the disappointing opening match helped the players display greater maturity and composure.
“This was the response we had in the dressing room. There are times when you need a game like the first one in order to grow in the tournament. Today we saw a team with the same attitude and commitment, but with greater maturity because it was no longer the opening match," Martinez said. (ANI)
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