Viktor Vatsko: "Portugal will defeat Uzbekistan by a large margin"

As the historic clash between the national teams of Uzbekistan and Portugal in the 2026 World Cup group stage approaches, the interest of foreign experts in this match is growing. Renowned Ukrainian journalist and football commentator Viktor Vatsko shared his predictions for the upcoming game. Sport.ua Relying on the source, we present to you the expert's interesting analysis.

Rehabilitation for Portugal and the Ronaldo factor

According to Vatsko, for Portugal, this match will be a kind of rehabilitation in front of their fans after an unsuccessful start in the tournament (1-1 with DR Congo). Furthermore, they aim to regain confidence before the decisive final group match against Colombia.

As expected, the European side's head coach Roberto Martínez will again put his trust in Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting lineup:

• Martínez's unwavering decision: Under this manager, Ronaldo almost always starts the game from the first minute, and the draw in the first round will not change this decision.

• Ronaldo's motivation: For the Al-Nassr striker, this match is a convenient opportunity to once again show his level and prove something to his critics.

An interesting fact from the journalist: In the decisive stages of World Cups, Ronaldo has not performed as reliably as expected. His record of 8 goals in 23 matches is not a very high figure for a star like Cristiano.

Uzbekistan's chances and defensive changes

Viktor Vatsko predicts that the Asian representatives will enter the pitch as underdogs and that Portugal will take control of the ball. However, not everything is bleak for our representatives:

• Weakness in Portugal's defense: The European defensive line still does not look completely reliable, which is why the Uzbekistan national team will have good opportunities to score.

• The return of Rúben Dias: The return of Rúben Dias, who did not play in the first match, is expected to significantly strengthen the situation in the center of Portugal's defense.

• Experience and the excitement factor: The journalist specifically noted that the lack of experience of our players in the World Cup and potential nervousness against a strong opponent could work against our national team during the match.

The Argentina 2022 scenario and final prediction

The Ukrainian expert emphasized that Portugal's failure in the first round should not be viewed as a serious tragedy and cited an important example from history:

«In the 2022 World Cup, the future winner — the Argentina national team — also started the competition with an unexpected defeat (1-2) to Saudi Arabia. Everyone remembers what happened next».

Vatsko said that there is no need to look for any unexpected sensation this time and predicted a big victory for Portugal. His final prediction is 3-0 (in favor of Portugal).

Reminder: The vital match between Portugal and Uzbekistan will take place today, June 23 The match will start at 22:00Tashkent time. We wish our mysterious and courageous national team good luck in this difficult test!