Portuguese Football Agent: Ronaldo is Not Yet in His Best Form

In the second round of the 2026 World Cup group stage, the Portugal national team will face the Uzbekistan national team. Ahead of the important clash, football agent Paulo Barboza shared his thoughts on the upcoming match.

The expert noted that the match against Uzbekistan will not be easy for Portugal. He pointed out that some of the Portuguese players have not yet reached their peak sporting form.

Barboza expects Cristiano Ronaldo to start in the lineup. However, in his opinion, the star forward is not yet fully prepared.

«The game will not be easy. Unfortunately, Ronaldo will start. However, we can see that he is not yet fully ready. He wasn't in optimal condition in previous matches either», Match TV quoted Barboza.

The football agent emphasized that several other Portuguese players are also not currently performing at their highest level.

«Many players in the team are also not in their best sporting form right now», he said.

Portugal started the World Cup with an unexpected result. The team drew 1-1 with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the first round of the group stage.

Following this result, a victory against Uzbekistan is crucial for the Portuguese. Therefore, the opponent is expected to start the match with high pressure and active attacks.

The Uzbekistan national team will strive to play a disciplined game against the strong opponent to secure their first points at the World Cup.

The match between Uzbekistan and Portugal takes place today, June 23. The game kicks off at 22:00 Tashkent time.