Portugal - Uzbekistan / 2026 FIFA World Cup

Follow the LIVE broadcast of the Portugal vs. Uzbekistan match in Group K of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on ŠPORT.sk! The match, also broadcast live on JOJ Šport, kicks off at 7:00 PM.

Uzbekistan's historic debut at the World Cup brought immense pride to the Asian nation, but Fabio Cannavaro's squad now faces a colossal challenge. In their second group stage match, they're up against a wounded European giant: Portugal.

Robert Martínez's side desperately needs a decisive response after a shocking stumble in their opening fixture. Any further dropped points would fatally complicate their ambitions for overall group supremacy. While the tournament newcomers will try to cope with immense pressure, the favorites urgently need to awaken their sterile attacking line.

The power of Portugal's attack was a mere shadow of itself in their first match against DR Congo (1-1). Yet, Martínez's team started like a dream, with João Neves scoring in the sixth minute after a pinpoint cross from Pedro Neto. However, that was all from the favored Europeans.

Their African opponents managed to equalize from a corner kick before halftime, and Portugal produced only one meager shot on target throughout the entire match. Even the evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo struggled on the pitch. Despite playing the full ninety minutes, he failed to hit the target with any of his three attempts and registered only five touches in the opponent's penalty area.

Statistics show that while Portugal has lost only one of their previous fourteen matches (ten wins, three draws), they have triumphed in only one of their last four World Cup tournament appearances. The biggest puzzle remains their low productivity; Portugal has scored more than two goals in only one of their last nine games. Coach Martínez must therefore implement significantly better movement between the lines. Key defender Rúben Dias is expected to return to the lineup, but Tomás Araújo's availability remains questionable.

Uzbekistan entered the tournament with a 3-1 loss to Colombia but left a strong impression after the break. Their first half was a struggle – they didn't register a single touch in the opponent's box and managed only one shot. However, their very first action in the penalty area after halftime brought a historic moment. Eldor Shomurodov fired a shot, and Abbosbek Fayzullaev calmly slotted the rebound into the net. The Asian representative recorded an Expected Goals (xG) metric of 1.16, the highest value for an Asian debutant at the World Cup since Kuwait's appearance in 1982.

Cannavaro's team had been on a fantastic run before their current three-game losing streak, losing only once in eighteen matches, with twelve wins and five draws. However, a weakness for the newcomers is their mental resilience after conceding. When they tried to open up their play, they fatally lost defensive balance twice in quick succession. The situation is further complicated by the health status of Rustamjon Ashurmatov, who had to be substituted early against the South Americans.

This will be the first-ever encounter between these two national teams. Although there's a significant quality gap between the squads, Uzbekistan has conceded at least twice in each of their last six losses, especially when forced to take risks and open up their defense. However, a goal-fest is not expected, as Portugal's attacking efficiency has fluctuated considerably recently.