Portugal take on Uzbekistan in their second match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday night, knowing they need a win to book a spot in the knockout round.
Robert Martinez charges were frustrated in a 1-1 draw by Congo in their opening Group K match, leaving them in third place with a point. Colombia are leading the standings with three points, after beating Uzbekistan 3-1 in their opening encounter.
Joao Neves scored Portugal’s only goal in the sixth minute but Yoane Wissa’s equalizer forced the favorites to settle for a point.
Portugal are on the quest to win their first ever World Cup title and need to win convincingly here to keep their hopes alive. Cristiano Ronaldo, who is playing in his last tournament, will lead his nation out seeking to extend their unbeaten run to seven games.
Uzbekistan are making their first ever appearance at the World Cup, with Abbosbek Fayzullaev scoring their first ever goal in the tournament in their 3-1 defeat to Colombia.
Portugal came into the tournament as the 5th ranked nation in the world, while Uzbekistan are in 50th place. The latter come into the game on the back of losing three games in a row.
Will Roberto Martinez’ side bounce back from their opening day stalemate to get their first three points of the 2026 FIFA World Cup? Here we have a look at both teams head of the clash and offer our predicted outcome.
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What time does Portugal vs Uzbekistan start?
The match kicks off at 8PM E.A.T at the NRG Stadium
Portugal vs Uzbekistan team news
Ronaldo is under immense pressure to deliver on the global stage and will start up front for his side. He will be supported by English Premier League duo Pedro Neto and Bernardo Silva.
Diogo Costa will start in between the sticks with Tomas Araujo and Renato Veiga in the heart of the defense.
Rafael Leao came off the bench against Congo and had a positive impact, however he is expected to settle for a place on the bench. Goalscorer Neves and Vitinha will also retain their spots in the starting XI.
Eldor Shomurodov has been key for Uzbekistan and the veteran forward is expected to start and lead the attacking line.
Oston Urunov and goalscorer Fayzullaev are also expected to retain their spots in the starting XI, as the main hopes of their nation. The rest of the side will remain unchanged.
Portugal vs Uzbekistan head-to-head and current form
Portugal bring a seven-match unbeaten run into the game and are likely to come out on top here. Prior to the draw against Congo, they had won three successive games, scoring six goals and conceding once.
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Their opponents Uzbekistan are on a three-game losing streak coming into this match. They have conceded seven goals in that run and scored twice in the process.
This will be the first ever match between these nations.
Current form:
Portugal – DWWWD
Uzbekistan – LLLDW
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Portugal vs Uzbekistan prediction
Portugal are a much better squad on paper and are favorites to win here to get their World Cup campaign back on track. With the pressure on them to get all three points, we can expect a dominant display from Martinez’ side.
Prediction – Portugal to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!