Paulinho reveals all after Mexico - Portugal: I had the role of... | OneFootball

Portugal drew 0-0 with Mexico at the reopening of the Azteca Stadium, in a match where Roberto Martínez made several changes at half-time. Paulinho was one of the players brought on in the second half and ended up being applauded by the Mexican fans.

At the end of the match, the Toluca forward and former Sporting player said he was pleased with the reception and left a curious message for the 2026 World Cup: "Mexico didn’t surprise me, I know them, they have a lot of quality, they have very good players. I’m very happy to see them like this and heading in the right direction. If Portugal don’t win, then let Mexico win", he said.

The Portugal international also analysed the match, highlighting the difficulties of playing at altitude. "There were no goals, but it was a good game, one where we were able to learn many things, and understand that playing at altitude is not easy. People who don’t know have no idea how difficult it is", he said.

Paulinho also praised Bruno Fernandes, underlining the importance of the midfielder in Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence: "Bruno, even if he gets it wrong once or twice, he never plays badly, he’s one of those different players. The ball flies differently", he said.

The forward who was champion with Sporting did not hide his emotion at playing in the country where he currently plays and where he has been shown so much affection. "It was a very special night for me. Playing here with my country, in Mexico and against Mexico, was perfect. You are wonderful, since I arrived you have treated me very well, thank you very much", he assured.

Finally, Paulinho revealed that he had to reassure the team regarding safety. "I had the role of speaking to my teammates and telling them that this is a safe country. Obviously what happens here, who knows, doesn’t happen in Portugal or in Europe, but it’s not something daily or that happens regularly, you know? So I had to speak to them, reassure them, but they also really like Mexico", he concluded.

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