Paulinho sends message to Martínez, ex-Sporting man still dreaming | OneFootball

Paulinho continues to shine for Toluca and 'left a message' for Roberto Martínez. The former forward of Sporting assured that he is always available to represent the National Team and says he dreams of being present at the next World Cup in 2026.

"As long as I play, I will be available for the National Team. I think I'm ready for it with what I'm doing at Toluca, I'm ready to help. You need to go with a lot of ambition to win the World Cup, but the World Cup has very good teams, so the important thing is to start well in the first game. If it's with Cristiano Ronaldo, even better," he said in statements to the Mexican press.

The 33-year-old forward admits it would be special to wear the Portugal jersey precisely in the country where he plays: "It would be incredible, being in Mexico, to play a World Cup for my country here. I think the stars are aligning, it would be very beautiful for me, special, also for what Mexico has given me, but let's see if it comes true," he highlighted.

Paulinho praised Cristiano Ronaldo and addressed the possibility of playing with the captain in the National Team: "Cristiano Ronaldo changed the history of Portuguese football. Besides, this might be the best generation of players in Portugal, so it's complicated, there are many good players, but I'm ready for the day they call me," he concluded. The coach also spoke about the possibility of calling Paulinho to the squad.

This season, wearing the Toluca jersey, Paulinho - valued at 7 million euros - has already played 16 games: 14 in the Mexican league, one in the Champions Cup, and another in the Leagues Cup. In the 1,157 minutes he has participated, the former Sporting forward has already scored 13 goals and provided two assists.

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