Portugal vs Uzbekistan: Top five players to watch during FIFA World Cup 2026 ft. Cristiano Ronaldo & Abdukodir Khusanov

Joao Neves scored for Portugal in the 1-1 draw with DR Congo

Matchweek 1 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup did not go well for Portugal or Uzbekistan as Os Navegadores drew 1-1 with DR Congo and the latter suffered a defeat to Colombia. Owing to the results, Los Cafeteros lead Group K with 3 points and a +2 goal difference.

Playing each other on Tuesday, this game Portugal and Uzbekistan would be a must-win for both sides as they aspire to make it to the knockout stage. Here are five players who will be the ones to watch and can flip the script in this upcoming game.

Abdukodir Khusanov (Uzbekistan)

The Manchester City defender is inarguably the best player in the Uzbekistan football team. The defender, aged 22, won a couple of trophies with his club this season and will be high on confidence. On Khusanov’s radar this time around will be none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abdukodir Khusanov was not up to speed in the game against Colombia and did not make any telling contributions. To add to this, the defender was also yellow carded in Uzbekistan’s opening game and will have to be very careful on the pitch.

Nuno Mendes (Portugal)

The Portuguese leftback was quite active in the first game as he completed 60+ passes to his teammate. On the defensive side, Nuno Mendes had minimal contributions as his nation was attacking for the most part of their FIFA World Cup 2026 game.

Uzbekistan will sit at the back for most of the game and this means that Nuno Mendes will get more attacking opportunities from the lefthand side.

Eldor Shomurodov (Uzbekistan)

Eldor Shomurodov is Uzbekistan’s target man and will be responsible for getting the goals for the Asian team. The 30-year-old had a great season with Istanbul Besaksahir as he scored 23 goals in 44 appearances.

The striker is in-form but Eldor could not influence the game in Uzbekistan’s 3-1 loss to Colombia. His nation will surely be hoping that the forward wears his scoring boots on Tuesday in this must-win encounter.

Also Read: Preview: Portugal vs Uzbekistan prediction, odds, where to watch, time | FIFA World Cup 2026

Joao Neves (Portugal)

Joao Neves was Portugal’s best player in the 1-1 draw against DR Congo as he scored his nation’s first goal in this edition of the World Cup. Aside from the golden strike, Neves also completed 87 passes and combined well with Vitinha.

While Neves was great in the first game, the Portugal supporters would be hoping that their young midfielder contributes slightly more in attack. Don’t be surprised if the Paris Saint-Germain player once again steps up with a goal against Uzbekistan.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

Cristiano Ronaldo cut a solitary figure in the box without much service in the game against DR Congo. The Portuguese captain did get a couple of half chances but couldn’t convert it as his side didn’t have the best of starts to their World Cup campaign.

While he did drop down every now and then in the last game, Cristiano Ronaldo will have to be much more involved against Uzbekistan. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner will be marked tightly once again and it has to be seen if he will create the record of becoming the first player to score in six FIFA World Cups.

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