Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves has said the squad will draw strength from the memory of Diogo Jota at the 2026 World Cup, which takes place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer. Jota, the Liverpool forward, died in a car accident in Spain and was part of the Portugal squad that won the Nations League title last summer, a tournament in which Neves scored the decisive penalty in a shoot-out victory over Spain.
“We’ve talked about it a lot and we always say the same thing,” Neves said. “Sometimes you need to hold on to something to give you that extra bit of strength. That will be one of the things that can give us that extra strength at certain moments and help us get where we want to go.”
Neves also set out Portugal’s ambitions for the tournament. “Our aim is to reach the final, win and return with the World Cup in our hands,” he said. “It’s hard to pick a personal goal because we’re focused on what we can achieve as a team. All the players in the national team are more than used to this kind of pressure. We recently had four players win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain for the second time. We are a young but experienced squad. We take this in our stride because we know we have the quality and that we can achieve great things for Portugal.” The four PSG players Neves referred to are Vitinha, Joao Neves, Goncalo Ramos, and Nuno Mendes.
Portugal have won Euro 2016 and the Nations League but never the World Cup. Head coach Roberto Martinez addressed the mentality of Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, who lines up for his sixth World Cup this summer. “I have worked with many players that have won a Champions League or a Ballon d’Or and the next day they lose their appetite,” Martinez said. “What we have with Ronaldo is an example of a different mentality. I believe that having that goal is what allows for longevity. Of course, there is a genetic aspect, the work he puts in. He uses everything that can help his body, and his mentality.”
Portugal open their Group campaign against DR Congo in Houston on 17 June, face Uzbekistan in Houston on 23 June, and meet Colombia in Miami on 27 June. Before those fixtures, they play warm-up matches against Chile on Saturday and Nigeria the following week. The World Cup begins on 11 June with Mexico facing South Africa.
