Paulo Barboza: "Uzbekistan couldn't reach the level of their previous game"

Portuguese football agent Paulo Barboza shared his thoughts on the match between Portugal and Uzbekistan in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Analyzing the match, which ended 5-0 in favor of Portugal, Barboza noted that Uzbekistan performed at a significantly lower level compared to their game against Colombia.

"Uzbekistan played very poorly compared to the match against Colombia. It surprised me because they are a good team. In the first 20 minutes of the match against Portugal, Uzbekistan couldn't attack at all," he said.

The expert stated that although Uzbekistan improved their game later on, the team was unable to replicate their previous performance in the tournament.

"Later they started playing a bit better. But they still couldn't reach the level they had shown in the World Cup so far. That is why they lost 0-5," Barboza added.

The Portuguese agent also evaluated his national team's performance. In his opinion, Portugal played much more confidently than in the match against DR Congo.

"Portugal played much stronger than in the game against Congo. The team looked very good, especially in the first half," he said.

Nevertheless, Barboza emphasized that Portugal still needs to improve its game, as an important and difficult match against Colombia lies ahead.

"Our team must further increase its level of play. There is a very important match against Colombia. We need to be especially confident in defense, as there are some problems in attack as well," Paulo Barboza concluded.