Portugal's meeting with Uzbekistan is being framed by Roberto Martinez less as a routine fixture and more as a decision about balance. The most useful place to start is João Neves, Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes, because that trio has already done most of the work in shaping Portugal's opening stage. Portugal drew 1-1 with Congo DR in their opener, and Neves supplied the early lift.
Neves has already set the tone
Neves opened the scoring with a sixth-minute glancing header. He also played the full 93 minutes, which tells you how quickly Martinez has leaned on him in midfield. The other detail that stands out is his rating, an 8 from the opener, the kind of number that tends to lock a player into the next discussion rather than the bench.
João Neves has not been treated like a passenger in this tournament. He already has one goal at World Cup 2026, and Standard's reporting described him as prominent once more against Uzbekistan in what many have called the midfield trio of the tournament.
Ronaldo still shapes the call Martinez has to make
The midfield talk does not remove Cristiano Ronaldo from the centre of the picture. Martinez is still managing the same debate, with Ronaldo set to start again after becoming the oldest outfield player ever at a World Cup at 41 years of age.
That leaves Portugal with a familiar problem. The team still needs control from the middle, but it also needs to find the right way to use Ronaldo's starting role without dulling the influence of Neves, Vitinha and Fernandes. Against Portugal vs Uzbekistan, that is the main selection call, and it is the one that will say most about how Martinez wants this side to look.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →