Sporting target abroad and Martínez call stuns everyone: the stats | OneFootball

João Palhinha was one of the biggest omissions from Portugal’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, and Roberto Martínez’s decision is generating huge debate among National Team fans. The Tottenham midfielder, linked with Sporting for next season, was ultimately overtaken by Samu Costa in the battle for a place in Portugal’s midfield.

The national team coach justified the choice with the impact made by the Mallorca player in the friendlies played in March. Roberto Martínez highlighted “the energy, the fighting spirit and the tactical side” shown by the 25-year-old midfielder, considering that his profile fits perfectly with what Portugal is looking for in the competition.

Samu Costa heads to the World Cup after the best offensive season of his career. The Mallorca midfielder has seven goals and two assists in 35 matches, numbers never previously reached by the Portugal international, who also stood out for his defensive intensity and the physical strength he showed throughout the season.

Meanwhile, João Palhinha had a more difficult season, despite recording six goals and two assists in 43 appearances for Tottenham. Loaned by Bayern Munich to Spurs, the former Sporting midfielder was publicly praised by Roberto De Zerbi, who said he wants to keep counting on the Portugal international next season.

Despite his World Cup exclusion, the numbers show a balanced duel between the two midfielders. According to Goal Point data, while Samu Costa has the edge in aerial play and progressive passes, João Palhinha continues to stand out for his tackling efficiency, posting an impressive 72% success rate in his attempts this season, along with a higher pass completion rate (84%) and more defensive actions in the middle third (3.6 per game).

Take another look at the last time Palhinha visited Alvalade:

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