Palhinha shines after Portugal v Hungary, ex-Sporting: We asked for it | OneFootball

João Palhinha came off the bench in the Portugal - Hungary match, in which the National Team ended up conceding a draw in stoppage time (2-2). After the game, the Sporting academy graduate stated that the Seleção “put themselves in a position” for this to happen.

“I don't think ‘overconfidence’ is the right word to justify the result... it's more a lack of concentration. We could have killed the game earlier and we put ourselves in that position. Either way, we're one step away from qualification,” he began, speaking to RTP1.

Next, Palhinha made the team's goal clear: “We want to secure qualification in the November camp. In this game, we failed on second balls and, if you look at their stature, you notice they have a superior physical level. We should have kept the ball at our feet because that's the best way to defend. Still, we have to focus on the good things this game gave us.”

“I wouldn't say it was the worst game... in terms of the result, definitely, but we played against a good team with a lot of quality,” concluded the player, who is currently playing for Tottenham on loan from Bayern Munich.

Portugal postpones confirmation of their place at the 2026 World Cup until November. With 10 points, five more than Hungary, just one win against Ireland or Armenia is enough to secure qualification. The Hungarians go into the final rounds with five points, one ahead of the Irish.

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