""We have a group of 10 more outfield players, making 25, and they all bring something different; they can all be important. Cris is always a matter of public opinion. When he scores, people ask what we're going to do when he's not there; they say there's a dependency. When he doesn't play, and we win, it's 'Who needs him...'. One thing is the popular, street debate, and another is the competitiveness in the locker room.""
""What was important was having leadership: Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva were very important in that. Leadership isn't just one player; there are several, and we scored nine and had more opportunities, but we also had the best left-back [Nuno Mendes], who didn't play. Pedro Neto played every game since the Nations League, and he didn't play either. We have many options, and it's important to win when important players aren't with us.""
Portugal secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup with a 9-1 victory over Armenia after Cristiano Ronaldo's red card in the previous match. Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves each scored hat-tricks; Fernandes' first treble for his country and Neves' first international goals. Renato Veiga, Goncalo Ramos and Francisco Conceicao also scored as Portugal recorded their biggest ever World Cup qualifying win. Manager Roberto Martinez praised the squad's leadership and depth, citing players such as Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva, and noting that key options like Nuno Mendes and Pedro Neto were unavailable yet the team still delivered.
#portugal-national-team #2026-world-cup-qualification #cristiano-ronaldo-absence #bruno-fernandes-hat-trick
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