Vitinha on Ronaldo: "I hope we can win the World Cup with him and for him"

Vitinha believes Portugal possesses "everything it takes to achieve great things." In an interview with FIFA, the midfielder expressed his "great enthusiasm" for playing in a World Cup for the second time in his career. "I see myself now with a more active role, a bit more important than before. I'm enjoying this responsibility and trying my best to meet expectations," he affirmed.

Addressing the expectations fans might have for Portugal, Vitinha hopes people will see "a lot of quality" in the national team, "but, above all, that they see the hard work and determination." He argues that quality emerges "naturally," while "willpower and hard work are aspects players must invest in."

Setting his sights on Portugal's unprecedented World Cup victory, Vitinha stated that "sometimes, it all comes down to details" and that "a bit of luck is also needed."

"We have everything it takes to achieve great things. We are working hard so that when the time comes, we can have that bit of luck and get close to winning the World Cup," he said.

"It's fantastic" to be Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate, Vitinha also remarked. "He is one of the greatest players in history. I feel very proud to share the locker room with him, to learn and witness his professionalism. I hope we can win the World Cup with him and for him," he added.

The midfielder shared that the biggest lesson he learned from CR7 was "the way he approaches football: with extreme professionalism and seriousness. He leaves nothing to chance. He steps onto the field knowing he is 100% prepared and has done everything in his power for the team."

In the World Cup, Portugal is placed in Group K, where they will face the Democratic Republic of Congo (June 17), Uzbekistan (June 23), and Colombia (June 28).