13th October 2024 – (Warsaw) Portugal’s national football coach, Roberto Martinez, praised his team’s enhanced depth, competitiveness, and preparation following their decisive victory against Poland on Saturday, which solidified their flawless start in the Nations League.
Portugal asserted their dominance early in the match, with goals from Bernardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo giving them a 2-0 lead at halftime. Although Poland’s Piotr Zielinski managed to pull one back, an own goal from Jan Bednarek sealed a 3-1 win for the visitors.
Despite Portugal’s exit from the Euro 2024 Championship after a quarter-final penalty shootout defeat to France, Martinez is now fully focused on building towards the 2026 World Cup. “We have more players now, and the competitiveness for what we are working on is growing,” he stated in an interview with RTP3. “We are an even better prepared team after the European Championship.”
Martinez emphasised the importance of the match, noting, “Our focus and total objective is the World Cup. I am happy; the attitude was incredible, and the players’ personality was fantastic in a difficult stadium. For us, it is a very important performance.”
Even though the coach acknowledged the desire to minimise conceding goals, he was pleased with the overall team performance. “We’re seeing new debuts, new players coming into the group in a natural way,” he added.
Portugal currently leads League A Group One with nine points, three ahead of Croatia. Martinez, who has been at the helm since January 2023, has faced criticism for relying heavily on star player Ronaldo; however, he substituted the 39-year-old forward in the 63rd minute against Poland. “It’s important; it’s part of managing the players, especially with two games in 72 hours,” he explained.
The Spanish coach also introduced several newcomers, with Renato Veiga and Samuel Costa both making their senior debuts. Veiga, who signed with Chelsea in July, played as a central defender alongside Ruben Dias, while Costa, a surprise selection, replaced Silva in stoppage time.
“Renato Veiga is very mature and aggressive. I think the relationship and connection with Ruben Dias was good,” Martinez commented. He highlighted the significance of Veiga’s debut, given the presence of one of modern football’s finest strikers, Robert Lewandowski, on the opposite side.
“I am happy with Samu, (Francisco) Trincao, and all the new players who worked very well. They showed that they are part of the team,” Martinez concluded, reflecting a growing optimism as Portugal prepares for the challenges ahead.
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