Recently, Roberto Martínez told media outlet RTP Notícias that Portugal national football team will head to the World Cup with the goal of winning the title.

Martínez admitted during the interview that reaching the World Cup final is already the team’s dream. He said: “Arriving in New York on July 19 (the final day) is our dream. It is also what everyone is thinking about. We need to work extremely hard and be prepared for difficult moments, but the dream of the national team is this: to challenge history.”

Martínez also believes the number six brings good luck. He said: “In 2016 we won the European Championship, in 1966 we achieved third place at the World Cup, which remains our best-ever result in the tournament, and in 2006 we reached the semi-finals. I believe 2026 will be the moment Portugal gets the result it deserves.” He jokingly added that he had already planned his luggage and would bring eight shirts.

Martínez stated: “We have a special strength and want to give everything at this highly demanding World Cup. We already defeated Germany and Spain before. This team is ready to achieve something while challenging history.”

He added: “This generation of players is outstanding. We have several captains from world-class clubs in the squad, with strong leadership and a lot of experience.”

Martínez repeatedly stressed that people should not consider Portugal’s group to be easy. He said: “Absolutely not. That mindset is very dangerous. The level of competition is extremely high, and we must respect teams playing in their first World Cup. Congo and Uzbekistan will come with enormous motivation, while Colombia are the best team from Pot 2, with excellent players such as Luis Suárez and Luis Díaz. The challenge is huge.”

Regarding the squad selection, Martínez reiterated that the decisions were made through “a very honest and responsible process.” He then revealed the goalkeeping hierarchy.

Martínez said: “Diogo Costa is the number one goalkeeper. Winning titles as Porto’s captain has helped him grow a lot. For us, Rui Silva and José Sá are on the same level. Since we must manage the workload of high-intensity training sessions with many shooting drills, we also brought Ricardo Velho, who has shown great energy and willingness to help the team during camp.”

Speaking about Cristiano Ronaldo, Martínez said: “There are not many strikers who score 25 goals in the last 30 matches for the national team. He is a player who can deliver the final touch inside the box, has outstanding finishing ability, and can also press opposing centre-backs to create space for teammates. He has an incredible desire to win and is always focused on becoming the best version of himself within the national team environment.”

When discussing individual performances, Martínez highlighted several players. He said: “It is difficult to find a better left-back than Nuno Mendes. He is extremely complete and currently at the best moment of his career. Paris Saint-Germain performed at a very high level in the Champions League, and Vitinha and João Neves were part of that. Although Rúben Neves plays in a more distant country, he has improved a lot and plays a very important role. Samu Costa arrives with energy, Matheus Nunes has gained plenty of playing time at a huge club like Manchester City, Bruno Fernandes won every individual award in the Premier League, and Bernardo Silva continues to shine there as well. We need to organize the players’ freedom on the pitch so that individual talent can bring balance to the team.”

At the end of the interview, Martínez recalled a sad moment. He said: “The accident involving Diogo Jota was a huge shock. When I speak about him, I do so with a smile because he had a kind of strength that made us believe we could chase our dreams. He was a light, and he is still part of the national team. He also gives us the responsibility to give everything to win the World Cup, because that was his dream as well.”

Martínez reaffirmed that Portugal will head to the World Cup with the belief of “27 players plus one more” behind them.