Roberto Martínez praises Paulinho, hints at Portugal call-up

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·18 de novembro de 2025

Roberto Martínez praises Paulinho, hints at Portugal call-up

Roberto Martínez, the national coach, was present this Tuesday, November 18, at the International Club of Portugal’s luncheon, where he spoke about leadership, honesty, and clarity. Along the way, among various topics, he addressed the ‘vacancy’ left in the usual squad list by Diogo Jota and spoke about three players who are competing for that spot, with Paulinho – who has been performing excellently – being one of the names.

“In the striker position, we work with Gonçalo Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Diogo Jota, who is a reference, he’s with us and we will try to do everything to achieve his dream, which was to win the World Cup. Now, we need a forward,” he began, before mentioning the former Sporting striker.

Vídeos OneFootball

R. Martínez: “We have three options and one is Paulinho, because he has been very consistent and playing very well.”

“We have three options and one is Paulinho, because he has been very consistent and playing very well. We have André Silva, who is having a very good season at Elche, and Fábio Silva, who is at Dortmund and has already been with the National Team. There are three forwards who are options to come in today,” he said.

R. Martínez: “I can say that Paulinho is one of the players we are following and we really like what he is doing.”

The coach does not rule out calling up the former Sporting player in the future: “But the most important thing is to maintain the same level and the decision day will be March 20. You also need some luck, to reach the 20th without injuries, so they can be available. That’s part of it. But I can say that Paulinho is one of the players we are following and we really like what he is doing. And if the World Cup has 26 players, as we expect, since it’s not confirmed, it’s a position that opens up for March,” he added.

This season, wearing Toluca’s jersey, Paulinho – valued at 7 million euros – has already played 16 matches: 14 in the Mexican league, one in the Champions Cup, and another in the Leagues Cup. In the 1,157 minutes he has played, the former Sporting striker 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.