João Félix Reassures Fans: "Everyone Needs to Stay Calm"

João Félix, speaking ahead of Portugal's Round of 16 clash against Croatia in the 2026 World Cup on Friday night, reassured fans about what to expect from the knockout fixture.

— Portuguese fans were disappointed. What can you tell them?

— What I can promise is hard work; they should remain calm. The squad here is calm; just because we drew two games doesn't mean we're less confident. It's a World Cup. Everyone just needs to stay relaxed. We are confident we will win and do everything to advance to the next stage.

— What needs to change?

— That's for the coach to decide. From the first to the second game, there were changes, and everything seemed perfect, now less so, but I don't think we played that badly. But if there are changes, it's up to the coach to make the final decision. The players who have come on have helped, so if anyone starts, they will deliver the same performance. That has to be everyone's mentality.