Uzbekistan head coach Fabio Cannavaro has stressed the importance of minimizing errors ahead of his side’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup group-stage match against Portugal.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the former Italy captain acknowledged Portugal’s technical superiority and warned that even the smallest mistakes could prove decisive when facing one of the world's strongest national teams.
"They are very strong technically. When you see the speed of their passing, you understand their quality. Football is not only about physical strength. Control, passing and avoiding turnovers are what matter most. If we lose the ball 20 times, we have to run back 20 times to recover it," Cannavaro said.
The Uzbek coach emphasized the need for intelligent pressing and tactical discipline rather than simply chasing the ball.
"You cannot run without purpose. We need to understand where we want to force them, where to win the ball back and how to be dangerous in attack. Portugal's statistics are excellent in every aspect," he added.
Cannavaro also reflected on Uzbekistan's previous performance, pointing to costly mistakes that affected the outcome of their match against Colombia.
"When you play against Portugal or any top team, every detail matters. Against Colombia, we made three mistakes and found ourselves in very difficult situations. We must stay in the game until the very end and reduce the number of errors. If we do that, we can be satisfied with our performance."
The match between Portugal and Uzbekistan is scheduled for later today in Group K of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Uzbekistan, making its historic World Cup debut, is still searching for its first points at the tournament. Portugal, meanwhile, remains among the favourites to advance from the group despite a challenging start to the campaign. With qualification still wide open, the encounter could play a decisive role in shaping the standings ahead of the final round of group matches.
