Can Ronaldo lead Portugal on a strong tournament run in what is likely to be his last FIFA World Cup? Winning this Portugal vs Uruguay World Cup Group H clash will probably mean dodging Brazil in the first knockout stage. It’s also a redemption story for Portugal after Uruguay sent them packing in Russia 2018.
Portugal vs Uruguay World Cup Group H qualifying match
Lusail Stadium, Qatar 2022
Monday 28 November, 14.00 US EST, 19.00 GMT UK, 22.00 local time
At 37, Qatar 2022 is quite possibly Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup swan song, although he hasn’t confirmed that officially. Portugal could be considered dark horses at this year’s tournament.
CR7, all-time leading scorer in men’s international football, will play in his fifth FIFA World Cup. A goal in Qatar would make him the first player to score in five World Cups.
Drawn with Ghana and the Korean Republic, Portugal and Uruguay are clear favorites to move on to the next round.
Led by Fernando Santos, Portugal look to claim their second major international trophy in six years, having won Euro 2016. Portugal’s qualification run wasn’t the most straight-forward. After a 2-1 loss to Serbia, they secured their spot in Qatar after a 2-0 playoff win over North Macedonia.
Read Brazil vs Serbia FIFA World Cup – Preview, Analysis.
Two-time world Cup winners Uruguay avoided a playoff match after a Giorgian de Arrascaeta goal against Peru secured a fourth-place finish in CONMEBOL qualifying.
Uruguay will look to recapture their Russia 2018 form – where they beat Portugal to move on to the quarterfinals, before losing to eventual champions France.
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With world-class players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Son Heung-min, Group H promises to be entertaining and one of the most competitive of the tournament.
Whoever makes it out of a very competitive Group H will hope to seize momentum to propel their Qatar 2022 hopes forward. In the next round, there are some interesting potential match-ups.
The team that finishes top of Group H plays the team who finishes second in Group G, and vice versa. Group G consists of Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon.
If Brazil and Serbia finish in that order, and Portugal tops Group H, they would avoid Brazil but face a rematch with the team that beat them in qualifying.
Uruguay have every desire to avoid Brazil also. The last time they met, in World Cup qualifying – they were on the wrong side of a 4-1 thumping.
Players To Watch – Portugal
The legend that is Cristiano Ronaldo will be determined to lead his team on a deep tournament run.
For Manchester United this season he scored 18 EPL goals in 30 matches – every one seemingly as crucial as the last – and managed six UCL goals from seven games as well.
Ruben Dias, centre back at title-winning Manchester City looks poised to have an excellent tournament. Since arriving from Portuguese side Benfica, he has taken control of his starting position and is an essential part of Pep Guardiola’s system.
A strong tournament will further solidify the 25-year-old among the world’s best defenders.
Players To Watch – Uruguay
With the experience of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani up front, Uruguay will challenge any defence on their day.
In his two seasons with Atletico Madrid, which includes a La Liga title, Suarez has over 30 goals, including the title clincher on the final day against Real Valladolid.
Alongside Suarez is seasoned forward Cavani – the man who sealed Portugal’s fate when these teams last played. While we haven’t seen the form we’re accustomed to seeing since he joined Manchester United, that’s not to say he hasn’t had moments of brilliance. Expect he 35-year-old to prove that age is just a number come November.
Champions League winner, Federico Valverde will look to bring fluidity to Uruguay’s transitional game. The 23-year-old Real Madrid midfielder will be key to Uruguay’s progression in this tournament.
Head-to-head: 2018 World Cup – Portugal 1-2 Uruguay
These two teams have, perhaps surprisingly, only ever met three times before. The record is well balanced, with a victory and a defeat each, and a draw mixed in as well.
Their most recent meeting was at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia – Uruguay beating Portugal 2-1 in the Round of 16. Portugal will definitely be looking to set the record straight after such an early exit last time.
Edinson Cavani proved to be the difference that day. Two beautiful goals put Uruguay through to their first FIFA World Cup quarterfinals since 1970.
The first came on just 7 minutes, a header top-right to finish a move that he started after linking up with Suarez. It wasn’t until the 55th minute that Pepe equalized for Portugal – also with his head from a corner kick.
Bouncing right back, Cavani’s brace in the 62nd minute proved to be the winner. Textbook technique delivered a beautiful finish, opening up his body to direct the ball wide of a diving Rui Patricio.
These wounds will still be fresh for Portugal. Look for them to avenge this loss.
How to watch Portugal vs Uruguay World Cup Group H
In the US, on Fox Sports/FS1 at 14.00 (English); Telemundo (Spanish)
Fox Sports holds English-language rights, and will air all 64 matches live across the Fox and FS1 channels. All games will also stream live on the Fox Sports app.
NBCUniversal’s Telemundo holds Spanish-language rights in the US.
In the UK, on ITV at 19.00
In the UK, the BBC and ITV share coverage rights, between them showing all matches. Here is the whole schedule for both channels – who is showing what, when.
