Bruno Fernandes did not hold back following Portugal's World Cup exit, declaring it a "missed opportunity" after their 1-0 loss to Spain in the last 16. Mikel Merino scored the winner in stoppage time, ending Portugal's campaign.
Fernandes: 'We Had the Quality to Win the World Cup'
Portugal won only one group game and struggled to maximize their talent, which includes Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and PSG stars Vitinha and Nuno Mendes. Fernandes said: "There's no point in talking about it now because we're out of the World Cup, but it was a missed opportunity. Every opportunity is a missed one because when we reach a World Cup, everyone wants to win." He added: "The overall assessment can't be positive - it would only be if we'd made it to the end, and we didn't."
Cristiano Ronaldo's Limited Impact
At 41, Ronaldo created only one chance in five games and was touched by the ball fewer times than 366 other players, despite playing nearly every minute. He had the same number of chances as Erling Haaland but scored four fewer goals. Manager Roberto Martinez defended Ronaldo, saying: "He creates space, adapts to situations. It’s very important to have someone like that inside the penalty area."
Martinez and Ronaldo Disagree with Fernandes
Ronaldo, likely at his final World Cup, said he was content having won the Euros: "I’ve won three titles for Portugal; before Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal hadn’t won a single title. The biggest title the national team has ever won was in 2016, the European Championship, which, to be honest, is worth winning a World Cup." Martinez, who will leave his role, said: "We didn't fail. We lost a game against a team that's one of the favourites. Winning or losing is about details in the big games. You fail when you don't try to win, and we tried to win until the last minute."
