Portugal need to find their World Cup mojo after lacklustre display

Portugal's World Cup campaign began with a disappointing 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo, a result that highlights a concerning pattern of lackluster displays on the global stage. This underwhelming start is a continuation of a trend that has seen the team struggle to translate talent into deep tournament runs over the past two decades.

Since achieving a fourth-place finish in Germany in 2006, Portugal has secured only six victories in 17 World Cup fixtures, often against less formidable opponents. Despite boasting squads rich in talent, they have failed to progress beyond the quarterfinals, including a surprising group-stage exit in Brazil in 2014 and a quarterfinal loss to Morocco in 2022.

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I think it's more the mentality of getting rid of the weight on the shoulders of the players of wanting to win the World Cup. Now we need to be calm, we need to assess, we need to highlight the good things that we did, and we did many good things. We need to improve the bad things and that's what happens in a World Cup.

Coach Roberto Martinez acknowledged the pressure on the team, stating that the perception would be a "disaster" if they failed to win. Following the draw, he emphasized the need for the players to shed the "weight on the shoulders of the players of wanting to win the World Cup." Martinez called for calmness, assessment of positives, and improvement of negatives, recognizing the unique challenges of a World Cup environment.

Congo's intensity and confidence in the match, playing "like a big final," contrasted sharply with Portugal's performance, where they managed only one shot on target despite taking an early lead. Martinez admitted Congo's display was not a surprise, but questioned his own team's fighting spirit. Portugal faces Uzbekistan in a must-win game next, followed by a match against Colombia, where they will need to demonstrate significantly improved form to contend for the trophy.

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They (Congo) were intense, confident. They played like a big final in a big tournament, and that shows incredible personality. We knew that Congo could do that. It wasn't a surprise.