Tomás da Cunha slams ex-Sporting defender, says status undeserved | OneFootball

The National Team came very close to securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup, but the draw with Hungary postponed qualification until November. Leading 2-1 at the 90th minute, the Portuguese saw the Hungarians seal the draw already in stoppage time. Tomás da Cunha analyzed the performance of the national team and singled out Renato Veiga, former Sporting player and current Villarreal footballer.

"We’ve finally gotten rid of the talk about ruthless qualifications and other messages that have nothing to do with what we see. Only with the ball was there comfort in defending. Everything else made Hungary look like a top team. Veiga's journey is commendable, but the status given is not justified," he wrote on the social network 'X'.

The analyst also replied in the comments to some internet users and the coach Roberto Martínez was also criticized: "It wasn’t me nor you who chose Renato Veiga as an alternative to Inácio or put Nuno Tavares on for the final minutes", one can read.

With a 2-2 on the scoreboard, the ticket to the World Cup can be secured in the next round, away to the Republic of Ireland, scheduled for November 13, before hosting Armenia at Estádio do Dragão on the 16th of that month, to close out group F.

Renato Veiga – currently valued at 25 million euros – trained at the Sporting Academy, but never managed to make it to the main squad of the Lions, who were then coached by Ruben Amorim. However, he was captain and represented the B team, playing 31 matches for the reserve side.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.