Trincão reveals behind-the-scenes chat with Luis Suárez at Sporting | OneFootball

Francisco Trincão appeared confident ahead of the start of the 2026 World Cup and assured that he is arriving at the competition at the best moment of his career. The Portugal international also spoke about his relationship with Luis Suárez - who also spoke recently -, his teammate at Sporting and one of Portugal’s opponents in the group stage, since Colombia are in Group H of the tournament.

At a press conference, the Portuguese international revealed that the subject was often a source of jokes in the Sporting dressing room. "We talked about it a lot, we even joked that he would finish second in the group and we would finish first. It was the joke in the dressing room for a while... We also talked about swapping shirts, but it was just banter between us," he said.

Asked about the form he is taking into the tournament, Trincão did not hide his satisfaction with the progress he feels he has made in recent years. "I feel that in recent years I have developed my game, also physically and mentally. I have grown in every aspect of the game, also defensively. I feel that I am heading into this World Cup in the best form of my career," he said.

Sporting’s 'number 17' also spoke about the friendly against Nigeria, which comes before Portugal’s World Cup opener: "We will try to make the most of the game. They are two similar national teams, in fact, both physical. It is a good team, but we will look at what we can do and make the most of one nuance or another that brings those teams closer together. More focused on Portugal and on doing our best. It will be a tough game against a good opponent," concluded the Portuguese forward.

In the 2025/26 season, playing for Sporting, Francisco Trincão – valued at 35 million euros – 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 recorded 13 goals and 15 assists.

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