Nuno Mendes revels after Portugal v Uzbekistan and his free-kick

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·24 Juni 2026

Nuno Mendes revels after Portugal v Uzbekistan and his free-kick

Nuno Mendes, the 24-year-old left-back for Paris Saint-Germain, spoke to beIN SPORTS after Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan last night on Matchday 2 of the World Cup. It was a chance to enjoy the victory and his free-kick goal.

Nuno Mendes: “It was a good match!”

“It was a good match today. We managed to control the whole game. Both offensively and defensively. I think that’s the most important thing for us. We train every day to keep the ball… I think it was a good match! The free-kick? We work on it in training. Everyone thought Cristiano was going to take it. I took advantage of the other team’s lack of concentration and I struck it… and it went in!”

After a disappointing 0-0 draw against DR Congo, Portugal responded very well. Both in terms of their play and their efficiency. Enough to restore confidence and open the door to the round of 32, even if qualification is not secured yet. They are not far off, at least with a place among the best third-placed teams. Now they just need to keep moving in the right direction collectively, as the squad has enormous potential.

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Nuno Mendes is one of the standout individuals in this group, and this time he particularly caught the eye with that surprising free-kick. It also shows a collective-minded approach after days of unnecessary controversy. That is excellent news going forward. And the PSG full-back confirmed that he also has that string to his very large bow.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.