DistantNews
Support us
Ronaldo starts for Portugal against Ubzbekistan at World Cup
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Sports

Ronaldo starts for Portugal against Ubzbekistan at World Cup

From Vanguard · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Cristiano Ronaldo has been included in Portugal's starting lineup for their World Cup match against Uzbekistan.
  • This decision comes despite his underwhelming performance in the previous game against the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he had his fewest touches in a major tournament match.
  • Coach Roberto Martinez has maintained his confidence in Ronaldo, who has not scored in his last 10 major tournament appearances.

Cristiano Ronaldo will start for Portugal in their second World Cup group match against Uzbekistan on Tuesday, a decision that has raised questions following his largely ineffective performance in the team's opening 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

During the previous match, the 41-year-old captain registered his fewest touches (25) in a major tournament game for Portugal while playing the full duration. His subdued display led to calls from some quarters for coach Roberto Martinez to bench the veteran forward.

Despite Ronaldo's 10-game scoring drought in major tournaments, Martinez has shown continued faith in the former Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus star. Ronaldo received a strong ovation from the crowd during warm-ups and whenever he appeared on the stadium's big screen.

Martinez has also made other changes to the lineup, bringing in Ronaldo's Al Nassr teammate Joao Felix for Bernardo Silva, while Manchester City defender Ruben Dias is also set to start.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Vanguard. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog