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the illusion of Portugal in the World Cup is supported by the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo and from the accompaniment of a golden generation that has been able to win titles for the first time in the history of the Portuguese country. The one in Qatar will be the eighth world championship for the Portuguese, the fifth in a row. The best result? Third place in England 1966, with Eusebio scorer and figure.

The coach: Fernando Manuel Costa Santos, much more than a football coach

when Fernando Manuel Costa Santos he took over in September 2014, nobody thought he would become the coach that would lead Portugal out of defeat. The coach had a thing for him: he had managed his country’s big three, Benfica, Porto and Sporting Lisbon. For this he had the support of the fans, beyond the fact that his favorite was José Mourinho. And two years later, the Portuguese cast was established for the first time in history winning Euro 2016 after beating France 1-0 with a goal from Eder in extra time. The same wouldn’t be the only title: it stayed with League of Nations 2018-2019.

“Euro 2016 and Nations League 2019 have given players experience, in the sense that they already know what they need to do to win. When you haven’t won anything you cling to will, to faith. Once you win, the audience asks you to win again. Before fans did not expect as much as now. It happens to gamers too. We have to deal with this pressure. Maybe it’s different for opponents. In 2016, many didn’t count on us. Today everyone knows what we are capable of” Santos told in an interview with El País of Spain.

It is clear that Santos changed Portugal’s history forever and will now be looking to take a step forward in a World Cup. And for that, he has high-level footballers from the best clubs in Europe, such as Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, from Manchester United and Manchester City respectively. “Thanks to the acuity of his decisions, Bruno is more productive in the central sector of the pitch. And we have players with a great capacity for improvisation, like Bernardo Silva, who can play as a winger, midfielder or even a false nine like he does with Guardiola , between Bernardo and Bruno give us great possibilities in terms of movement,” explained the coach. He also highlighted Rubén Días, Pep’s stellar centre-back for City. “Leadership, ability to read the game, knowing what he needs to do according to his team and one-on-one strength are his great attributes,” Santos said.

The figure: the Last dance by Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo He is going through the worst present of his successful career and alarms are sounding in Portugal. The Insect He is the captain and the emblem, but his small shots at Manchester United raise questions about the World Cup. Ronaldo is at odds with the Dutch coach Erik Ten Hag and therefore plays only a few minutes. It’s not new, all the same: he tried to leave the market even though he couldn’t find a suitor.

For Ronaldo it will be the fifth World Cup, the same as Messi. In Portugal he accumulates 117 goals in 191 games, while in the World Cup he scores 7 times in 17 games. The best performance was the quarterfinals of Germany 2006.

“Cristiano is obviously not the same player who played for Real Madrid or whom I coached at Sporting at 18. Back then he was a machine. He ran 50 meters 20 times a game, came and went. Today he can’t do that. Today he’s not a player of 20, neither 10 nor 5 runs from 50 meters. He has lost quality. His main matrix is ​​his enormous will, his availability, his rigor, his work and the instinct to score “This is intact and we must take advantage of it. How? I think the closer to the area he plays, the better he will do. If he shoots to the left, he will have to turn around, cover a significant distance to go in the centre, pass three or four opponents, and be careful to continue towards his winger, which all wingers do but nobody has asked Cristiano for a long time.Santos explained in the note to El País.

A painful absence, but a team that wants to do justice to history

Diogo Jota would have been one of the attractions of the World Cup. His stunning walk in Liverpool was the introduction credential. They have also been more than someone to indicate him as the figure of the team, even above Cristiano Ronaldo. But nothing could happen to the able winger: he was injured in a duel against Manchester City and will remain unemployed for around two months. “After such a great night at Anfield, mine ended in the worst way! At the last minute, one of my dreams collapsed. I will be another to support the club and country from abroad, and I will fight to return as soon as possible possible . as soon as possible. You will never walk alone”wrote the attacker on his Instagram account.

Little was known about Jota when Jürgen Klopp saw him; only that he had had a good season at Wolverhampton. “It’s very difficult to improve a team like ours. Diogo has been on my transfer list for the last two or three years. He can play in any of the three attacking positions at a very high level, so he makes us stronger.”Klopp warned when Liverpool announced him as a backup. And their numbers were brilliant: 34 goals in 93 games.

The good thing for coach Santos is that he has something to replace Jota with. Portugal’s list includes the indecipherable João Félix (22 years old), who fails to establish himself in Diego Simeone’s Atlético de Madrid, and the nascent Rafael Leão (23), figure of Milan’s Serie A champions.