Will Cristiano Ronaldo start in Uzbekistan match? Portugal coach refuses to answer

3 min readJun 23, 2026 11:10 AM IST

Cristiano Ronaldo is under heavy pressure to be benched as Portugal take on Uzbekistan in their second World Cup match today. (AP Photo)

The pressure on Cristiano Ronaldo to perform has been heightened after his long-time rival Lionel Messi backed up his first-round hat-trick for Argentina with a brace against Austria on Monday night. Young stars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland also showed up with braces of their own for France and Norway, respectively, as they qualified for the Round of 32 on Tuesday.

Portugal and Ronaldo have been, however, under fire after their repid start with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their Group K opener last week. The 41-year-old will be under the spotlight when Portugal take on Uzbekistan on Tuesday night in Houston. However, whether Ronaldo will start on the turf or off it remains under wraps as Portugal coach Roberto Martinez refused to confirm his position.

“I can’t inform you about the starting 11 because I haven’t informed my players,” Martínez said Monday when asked if Ronaldo would remain in the lineup.

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Despite the mounting critcism, Martinez said Portugal have come closer together as group after the early Congo setback.

“We are playing a World Cup so of course we have a lot of noise and tension, but it’s part of the game,” he said. “The focus is on the team and we want to show a positive attitude … to be ready for the match. We are very much focused. We are strong. The team is even more united than before.”

Praise for Ronaldo’s bouncebackability

Despite keeping mum on Ronaldo’s position for the second match, Martinez continued to back the goal-scoring talisman who has failed to strike for the national side since October 2025.

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“He’s an example, as a captain,” Martínez said. “And he’s reacted as a captain, with a lot of experience.

“He wants to contribute, and he’s a role model for our team.”

“He’s probably the biggest example of how to recover, how to train,” Martínez said. “But that doesn’t take away the feeling of frustration we all have, as a team.”

Locked with a solitary point, a defeat or another draw could put Portugal’s chances of qualification for the round of 32 in jeopardy, leaving a lot riding on Ronaldo and Martinez’s combinations on Tuesday night.