‘Suffering’—Bruno Fernandes Pinpoints Reason Behind Portugal’s World Cup Exit

Portugal’s wait for a first-ever World Cup title continues after Monday’s insipid defeat.

Portugal only won two of its five World Cup games. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Bruno Fernandes has identified Portugal’s negative second-half approach during its 1–0 defeat to Spain as the reason for its World Cup exit on Monday.

Portugal was sent packing after losing to its Iberian neighbors in the round of 16, Mikel Merino scoring the game’s sole goal in the 91st minute. The result means Portugal has failed to go beyond the round of 16 in four of the last five World Cups.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who was appearing in what is widely expected to be his final-ever match at the tournament, has come under significant scrutiny for disappointing performances amid Portugal’s elimination. But Fernandes believes it was a tactical shift that proved costly in Texas.

“It’s a sad moment. We had the clear objective of winning the World Cup, but we weren’t at our best,” said the Manchester United captain.

“In the first half, we were superior, but in the second half we made the mistake again of dropping too deep and giving the ball to the opponent. When that happens, we end up suffering.

“Spain deserves credit, but I believe that if we had continued doing what we were doing in the first half, we would have left here with a different result.”

Fernandes added: “‘The assessment can’t be positive. It would only be positive if we reached the end.
I know we’ve never won a World Cup and we always set the bar very high, but, with some certainty, this group had the quality to win the World Cup.

“There’s no need to lose faith. We lost against one of the favourites and we have to look ahead differently. We have to be more true to ourselves, play our way, and find ways to make teams respect us more.”

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Roberto Martínez Bears Brunt of Criticism

Roberto Martínez has resigned as Portugal boss. | Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

Fernandes might be offered another opportunity to win Portugal its maiden title in 2030—where it will partially be playing on home soil—but no such luxury will be afforded to Martínez, who resigned from his post after defeat to Spain.

The Spaniard was already a controversial choice as Portugal boss, in part because he was only the fourth foreign manager ever appointed, but also due to his failed attempts to win the World Cup with Belgium’s fabled golden generation.

Belgium managed a third-placed finish under Martínez in 2018, but then endured a truly abysmal campaign in which it failed to advance the group stage in 2022. In between, the Red Devils were knocked out at the quarterfinal stage of Euro 2020.

Martínez made a terrific start with Portugal, winning his first 11 matches at the helm, and then guided the team to the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League title. However, his unwillingness to sacrifice Cristiano Ronaldo and other tactical shortcomings led to a dreary World Cup campaign in North America.

Portugal won just two of its five matches and, bar a 5–0 thrashing of debutants Uzbekistan, was nowhere near the level expected of such a talented roster. For that, Martínez must take responsibility, as he will for a costly second-half performance against Spain on Monday.

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