Portugal 0-1 Spain match reaction: “We came here with the aim of winning the World Cup. Unfortunately, we never found our best form” – Bruno Fernandes | OneFootball

Bruno Fernandes pinpointed a lack of “being ourselves” as a reason for Portugal’s demise at World Cup 2026 (Photo: FPF/Diogo Pinto)

Roberto Martínez, Portugal coach:

“The game could have gone either way. It was a very even game, like the Nations League final and we deserved to go to extra time.

“In football, luck also plays a part. The ball hitting the bar, going in our not... The result is what’s important, but I’m very proud of the performance, of everything the players did. We played Spain eye to eye, with a lot of intensity. We shut down everything Spain likes doing.

“Today was my last game. I came to Portugal to win the World Cup. As we didn’t win, it makes no sense to continue.

“I want to thank the Portuguese people because this has been an incredible journey and an honour I can’t put into words. I will carry the memories of the passion and energy of the fans and the whole country for the rest of my life.

“In 45 matches we set records in Portugal’s history, thanks to commitment of the players. I leave with unforgettable memories, winning the Nations League and breaking records.”

Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal captain:

“I’m sad to be out of the World Cup, but like I said in the press conference, I gave my all and I leave with a clear conscience. It was my last World Cup. Will it be my last Portugal game? I don’t decide things in the heat of the moment, and I don’t want to deviate attention from what we did in the World Cup through a personal decision.

“It’s always sad to get knocked out of a major competition. The team was improving. We played a good game, in my opinion. It could have gone either way, but that’s football. It’s frustrating to go out like this, but my conscience is clear.

“What have I got to say about Roberto Martínez? I loved working with him. He’s a great coach and a great human being, and what he did for Portugal is praiseworthy. I want to say thank you to him and wish him all the best.”

Bruno Fernandes, Portugal midfielder:

“I think we were superior in the first half, but in the second half we made the same mistake of dropping too deep and giving too much possession to our opponents. When you do that, sooner or later you’re going to concede a goal. Obviously Spain are a high-quality team, with great players, but I think that if we’d continued playing like we did in the first half it would have been a different result.”

“We came here with the aim of winning the World Cup. Unfortunately, we never found our best form. I know Portugal have never won the World Cup and we always put our expectations sky high, but I can say with some certainty that this squad had the quality to win the World Cup.

“I think we have to be ourselves more, look more at what we can do, try and play our own way, and find ways to make teams respect us more.”

Rúben Dias, Portugal defender:

“We gave it our best shot but it wasn’t enough. It was one of the tightest games against Spain since I’ve been here. We had chances in a very even game and the only thing we lacked was scoring a goal. Spain scored at a crucial time. Both teams are lethal and we didn’t score.

“We were perfectly aware that we were growing and improving (in the tournament). We leave with the sensation that we could have gone further. We have to look to the future.”

Nélson Semedo, Portugal defender:

“I think we were knocked out by a great team, who are contenders to win the World Cup. We went with them toe to toe. We had our chances in a very even game.

“We know we have a great team and perhaps we could have done better, but above all I have to congratulate my teammates for the effort them put in and look ahead because life goes on.

“Obviously we have to try and improve, look what we didn’t do especially well, be self-critical when analysing this World Cup. We have a great team, we all have a lot of quality and we know that maybe we could have done a bit better.”