Ivanovic for the World Cup? Benfica star assures: He's playing... | OneFootball

José Mourinho was full of praise for the support of the fans who filled the stands at the Estádio da Luz during Benfica's 4-1 thrashing of Moreirense. In the flash interview area, where he had already touched on other important topics, the coach also commented on the chances of Franjo Ivanovic making an appearance at the 2026 World Cup.

"There aren’t many words for it. Benfica is Benfica. We could say that we beat Sporting and caused this, but that’s not true. We played Nacional after drawing with Casa Pia and it was the same," began the Eagles’ coach, speaking to BTV after the match against the Green and Whites.

"It’s pure Benfiquismo and nothing more than that. Ivanovic? The boss is the boss, Dalic is Dalic, he’s the one in charge. Far be it from me to stick my oar in," added the Benfica coach, trying to distance himself from a matter that lies solely with the national team managers, who seek to call up the best players for the World Cup.

"He’s playing more minutes, and these goals show what he can do in specific areas. I want to believe the World Cup allows them to consider 1001 different situations; he has a lot to offer teams. Let him decide what’s best for Croatia," José Mourinho concluded.

It should be remembered that the Lisbon club picked up another important win in the fight for second place in the Liga Portugal Betclic after crushing Moreirense, thanks to goals from Leandro Barreiro, Richard Ríos and Franko Ivanovic, who scored twice. As things stand, the Eagles remain in second place with 75 points, but they are now waiting for Sporting to slip up.

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