Portugal’s 2-0 lead over Uzbekistan at NRG Stadium looked safe enough. Then Aziz G’aniev arrived from outside the box and, for about 30 seconds, the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group K match had a real game on its hands Tuesday in Houston.
VAR had other ideas. Referee Jalal Jayed consulted the monitor and ruled that a foul on João Cancelo in the buildup to the strike wiped out what would have been the most emphatic moment of Uzbekistan’s tournament, according to coverage by VAVEL.
The call restored Portugal’s 2-0 advantage, the score at the moment G’aniev’s right-footed shot from distance had beaten goalkeeper Diogo Costa and sent the Uzbekistan bench into brief celebration. Portugal’s lead stood. The Seleção das Quinas later scored again thanks to a first-half brace by Cristiano Ronaldo, and the game was effectively decided.
Aziz G’aniev’s Strike and the VAR Reversal
G’aniev’s goal came in the 29th minute. Advancing through the middle of Portugal’s defensive shape, he drove a right-footed effort from outside the area that found the net. Uzbekistan players believed they’d cut the lead to one. Portuguese players immediately appealed, arguing that a foul on right-back João Cancelo had set the entire sequence in motion.
Jayed went to the pitch-side monitor. The review confirmed a foul on Cancelo in the lead-up to G’aniev’s run. The call came down. No goal. G’aniev’s name came off the scoresheet. Uzbekistan remained scoreless, their brief dream closed by the technology.
It was a pivotal moment in a match Uzbekistan could not afford to lose. The White Wolves were appearing in only their first-ever FIFA World Cup, a historic run for a Central Asian football program that built toward this stage through a dominant AFC qualifying campaign. After falling 3-1 to Colombia in their Group K opener, they entered Tuesday’s contest in Houston with zero points and no margin for error.
G’aniev, one of Uzbekistan’s most technically gifted midfielders and a key figure in their qualifying run, lined up alongside Abbosbek Fayzullaev in an attacking role against Portugal’s back four. When the opportunity opened up, he took it cleanly and with conviction.
Portugal’s Group K Standing and the Path Forward
Portugal came into Tuesday’s match carrying its own baggage. Roberto Martínez’s side had drawn 1-1 with DR Congo in the Group K opener, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo and company without a win and drawing criticism over their tournament form.
Ronaldo silenced some of that noise early. His fifth-minute finish, created by a right-flank cross from Cancelo, made him the first player in history to score in six separate FIFA World Cup tournaments, according to Yahoo Sports.
Nuno Mendes added a second in the 17th minute. The Paris Saint-Germain left back curled a free kick around the Uzbekistan wall and past goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov, doubling Portugal’s advantage before the half-hour mark and lifting a 72,220-capacity crowd at Houston Stadium.
G’aniev’s overturned strike came shortly after. By the time Jayed completed the VAR review and waved off the goal, Portugal’s Group K footing had snapped back into focus, and Uzbekistan’s best chance to make Tuesday’s match at least somewhat competitive had dissolved.
Why Did Officials Disallow Uzbekistan’s Goal Against Portugal?