Tomás da Cunha spots Martínez error over Sporting star | OneFootball

Francisco Trincão, Sporting winger, did not come off the bench in Portugal’s 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the national team’s World Cup debut, a decision that is already drawing criticism from commentators and analysts.

One of the strongest reactions came from Tomás da Cunha, who took to social media platform X to point the finger at Roberto Martínez’s choices. In his analysis of the match, he criticized the lack of alternatives sought from the bench.

"There is nothing different about Portugal’s football. He started (predictably) with Bernardo Silva only to take him off at half-time, made changes only with an eye on wide play, without trying anything with Félix and/or Trincão. You can’t hope to succeed at the World Cup while suffering so much in transition and from set pieces," he wrote.

The direct reference to the Lions player comes at a time when Trincão — linked with a move away from Sporting — is going through one of the best spells of his career. After a high-level season at Alvalade, the winger arrived at the World Cup with expectations that he could play an important role for Portugal, something that did not happen in the opening round of the competition.

In 2025/26, playing for Sporting, Francisco Trincão – valued at €35 million – made 54 appearances: 34 in Liga Portugal Betclic, 11 in the Champions League, seven in the Portuguese Cup, one in the League Cup and another in the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup. In 4,602 minutes played, the forward scored 13 goals and provided 15 assists.

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