Portugal is in a weird spot. They walked away with a 1-1 draw against World Cup debutants DR Congo last week, and now the criticism is loud. The team looked flat. They had the ball forever, got an early goal from João Neves, and then just… stopped. No second gear. DR Congo held firm, equalized just before halftime through Yoane Wissa, and Portugal never found a way back in front. That’s a problem.
Now comes Uzbekistan. Another first-timer on this World Cup stage. But the White Wolves are not a normal pushover. They lost 3-1 to Colombia in their opener, but the scoreline flattered Colombia. Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored a header in the 60th minute to level the game, and Uzbekistan kept pushing. Akmal Mozgovoy curled one just wide in the 90th. Then after Colombia scored a third, Jakhongir Urozov hit the crossbar. They had chances. They created problems. And that was against a decent Colombian side.
Portugal’s issues start up front. Cristiano Ronaldo is 41 years old, 132 days to be exact, making him the oldest outfield player to ever start a World Cup match. Against DR Congo, he had only 25 touches all game. That was the fewest of any player who played the full 90. He hasn’t scored at a major tournament since a penalty against Ghana at the 2022 World Cup. That’s 10 straight games without a goal. Ten.
The whispers are getting louder. Fans and pundits think manager Roberto Martinez is afraid to bench the captain. The rumor mill says Martinez feels the pressure to start Ronaldo no matter what. If Martinez really wants to prove the talk wrong, he can leave Ronaldo on the bench against Uzbekistan and bring him on when the game opens up. It’s not like Portugal lacks options. Gonçalo Ramos, Diogo Jota, João Félix — there’s firepower waiting.
Uzbekistan’s defense is no joke either. They’re coached by Fabio Cannavaro, one of the greatest defenders ever. He runs a 3-4-2-1 that’s tough to break down. Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov anchors the back line alongside veteran Rustam Ashurmatov. And Fayzullaev on the wing is their biggest threat going forward. They’re not just going to roll over.
By the way, these two teams have played once before. A friendly back in September 2012. Portugal won 5-2. They’d take that scoreline again in a heartbeat. But this isn’t a friendly. This is a must-win group stage match for Portugal if they want to avoid chaos.
If Ronaldo does start and scores, he’d become the first man to score in six different World Cups. That’s a cool record. But the bigger question is whether Portugal needs him to chase personal milestones right now or just get three points.
My gut says this could be another frustrating game for Portugal. Uzbekistan is confident, organized, and hungry. The trend of upsets in this tournament is real. I wouldn’t be shocked if this ends 0-0. That wouldn’t be exciting, but it would be another defensive clinic from an underdog. And honestly, after watching Portugal’s first match, I wouldn’t bet against it being dull.
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