Portuguese fans vote Ronaldo out of the starting XI ahead of Uzbekistan match

Portugal will face Uzbekistan on Tuesday in the second round of the 2026 World Cup, hoping to recover after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Congo in their opener. The team is under growing scrutiny at home, especially over Cristiano Ronaldo’s place in the lineup.

Portuguese newspaper A Bola ran a poll among its writers and readers asking which team should start the match. The result was clear, voters said Ronaldo no longer deserves to be in the first eleven, and preferred Goncalo Ramos as the central striker.

The fan-selected lineup was Diogo Costa; Joao Cancelo, Tomas Araujo, Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes; Francisco Trincao, Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos. But that team is not expected to reflect the actual starting side.

Ronaldo is still expected to keep his place and has full backing from coach Roberto Martinez. The main uncertainty is on the wings, where Francisco Conceicao is expected to start on the right after impressing off the bench in the first match, and Pedro Neto is likely to remain on the left after assisting in the opener. Defender Tomas Araujo is also a doubt because of an injury he is carrying. The projected lineup is Diogo Costa; Joao Cancelo, Tomas Araujo, Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes; Francisco Conceicao, Pedro Neto and Goncalo Ramos.