Lisbon [Portugal], June 4 (ANI): Former Portugal footballer Antonio Simoes, part of the 1966 FIFA World Cup squad that achieved their best-ever third-place finish, backed the current squad to do well in the 2026 edition of the tournament and highlighted the importance of superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo in deciding the outcome of the matches.
Portugal will play friendlies against Chile on June 6 and Nigeria on June 10 before starting its WC campaign against Congo on June 17, followed by a clash with Uzbekistan on June 23, before concluding the group stage against Colombia on June 27. This will mark Cristiano's sixth FIFA World Cup appearance, a trophy he has yet to win despite years of several international/club level trophies and records.
Speaking to FIFA, Simoes said that the current generation of Portuguese football has everything a great football team needs, and they should not lose their 'pride and unity'.
'This generation has everything,' he said. 'They have a strong defensive line, goal scorers up front and the thinkers of the game in the middle.'
He also admitted that the teams struggle without players who are 'thinkers', and Portugal has them.
'But Portugal must never lose their pride and unity. I hope every player steps onto the pitch determined to make history, understanding that humility is not submission, but rather a path to glory,' he added.
On Cristiano, he called him a 'great player', who is possibly having his 'last dance' at the international level.
'He is a great player, possibly facing his last chance to win the World Cup. He can still decide matches in the final third if he remains close to goal,' said Simoes.
The veteran's confidence would also be really high during this World Cup after a fantastic Saudi Pro League title-winning season with Al Nassr.
The Portugal training session on Tuesday witnessed a visit from the national women's team and unveiling of numbering on players' jerseys, with the number 21, worn by late Diogo Jota, to be used by his close friend Ruben Neves. Jota passed away last year in a car crash.
Ruben had spoken about the late footballer's spiritual presence in the team during Monday's presser.
The number six jersey will be worn by Matheus Nunes and will play a bit as a right-back. Samu will be wearing number 24. Tomas Araujo will be sporting number four on his back, while Nuno Mendes got the number 25, as per Publico.
The remaining lower numbers will see Diogo Costa, Nelson Semedo, Ruben Dias, Diogo Dalot, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Goncalo Ramos, Bernardo Silva and Joao Felix wearing numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 respectively. (ANI)
