2026 World Cup - Portugal: Bruno Fernandes' great disappointment

06.07.26 FT World Cup

Portugal

0

:

Spain

1

Portugal exits the 2026 World Cup in the round of 16 against Spain (0-1).

Both squads fought hard in this round of 16 clash before Merino broke the deadlock for La Roja at the very end of the match. A cruel heartbreak for the Seleção das Quinas, who dreamed of lifting the 2026 World Cup trophy. Bruno Fernandes did not hide his disappointment.

"This is a moment of sadness. Our goal was to win the World Cup. Unfortunately, we weren't at our best. In the first half, we were superior; in the second, we made the same mistakes. We gave the ball away to the opponent. When that happens, you concede a goal. Spain deserve credit, they have great players. The overall outcome is not positive, we didn't go all the way. Our expectations were really high. This group had the quality to win the World Cup. We need to be ourselves and find a way to earn a bit more respect from other teams," he said after the match.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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