Martínez on Hungary v Portugal, comments on ex-Benfica case: “New twist…” | OneFootball

In Hungary, for what will be the second qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup, Roberto Martínez has already previewed the match against the local team, where the dominant theme was Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the Spanish coach also took the time to clarify a question involving two players who have played for Benfica.

After having adapted João Neves to right-back in the final minutes of the victory against Armenia (5-0), the coach was asked if he would do the same: “João Neves is a player who only changes his position without the ball in the National Team. Cancelo is an attacking, versatile player.”

Without completely ruling out this possibility, the coach of the national team went further and stated that he knows the players well, but the objective of the match is the most important: “We all know both players. Tomorrow we need to follow the plan, both can execute it.”

Finally, he explained that since taking over the national team after the Qatar World Cup in 2022, Martínez emphasized that he has already tested all possibilities, making it difficult for there to be any surprises: “We have experimented a lot, playing one or the other is not a new aspect.”

Entering his second season in Paris, João Neves continues to justify the investment made by PSG in 2024/25. In the current sports season, the former Benfica player - valued at 80 million euros - has so far played two official matches, all in Ligue 1. In the 157 minutes he was on the pitch, the former Benfica player scored three goals.

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