“We are doing everything to ensure we arrive at the game in the best possible way”

Bruno Fernandes believes that having played fewer games this year could make him even more valuable to the National Team:

“I hope it benefits me and allows me to help my national team by being better, fresher. That’s what I hope. I haven’t felt my best at other times, in other competitions, but obviously, having fewer minutes, fewer games under my belt, any player who arrives here with a good number of games, but not as many as many others, can benefit from that. I hope this can make a difference, not just for me, but for all those in our National Team who have played fewer minutes than others. May our legs be a bit fresher, especially compared to our opponents, particularly when it matters most.”

“The overall assessment is positive. Matheus Nunes already addressed this, but I’ll reiterate. It was something already planned, something that’s also part of the adaptation process. If we weren’t at the beach, we’d have to be cooped up in our hotel rooms, which probably isn’t the best for our physical condition, as we wouldn’t have as much opportunity for mobility, to move around, to walk a bit, and also to have group moments, moments where we can create good memories and a good atmosphere with some jokes and antics. These calmer moments will be important. But we’re used to anything we do being viewed positively by some and negatively by others. The message I want to convey to our people and to you all in general is that we are doing everything possible to ensure we arrive at the game ready to represent the country in the best way. Believe me, everything we are doing, including the beach trips, is for the benefit of all players’ physical condition, so we can also rest in the best way, adjust our schedules optimally, and also adapt to the sun, as Matheus mentioned… In Manchester, we don’t get much sun, so it’s important to have that adaptation too.”

“Firstly, rankings don’t count for much in these types of competitions, because the ranking looks good and it’s there, but points are obtained differently by each national team, as we don’t play against each other regularly. Congo is a very capable team, a team with a lot of quality, with players who mostly play in major leagues as well. They might not have names as prominent as our national team, but they have quite well-known names with very good careers to date, who deserve all our respect. They are a very physical team defensively, capable of playing with both a back five and a back four; we’ve already assessed that. They are also a team with very good transition capabilities due to their midfielders’ ability to carry the ball and the speed they possess upfront. But more than that, we know what we are capable of, what we need to do defensively to not concede many opportunities… The reaction to losing the ball, when it happens, must be very strong. And, crucially, we need to try to control the game with the ball, because we are very capable of that and of creating many opportunities and then finishing them, if possible, in the best way.”

“I feel good because our midfield is full of quality: João [Neves], Vitinha, Bernardo, Rúben Neves, Samú – they are all players who add something different to our national team. Obviously, I won’t delve into the question of the three players because I don’t know if all three will play. I don’t know if the coach will decide that way or not, but what I do know is that, regardless of all the names I mentioned, any of them can play, and the team is well-served. And, as I said about Congo, there are always more prominent names, others less so, but everyone is important, and in our national team, there’s no difference between being the best player in the Premier League or a two-time European champion, because we look at everyone the same way, we look at everyone with the understanding that our teammate next to us wants to play in the position we are playing, but at the same time, they are there to help us and give their best for our national team. So, I prefer not to go there. I hope that Portugal, regardless of the starting XI, not just the midfield, has the best XI in the World Cup.”

“I, personally, always get nervous. It feels like the first time. I’m nervous to be here now, I’ll be nervous tomorrow, but I think it’s a nervousness of anticipation, of wanting to play, of wanting to be on the field. Just a little while ago, I had the chance to see the pitch, and my desire wasn’t so much to come here and talk to you, with all due respect, it was more to go in and get some touches. That nervousness is part of it; we represent our national team, our country, our people, the dream of thousands of boys and girls who will be in Portugal watching us. I was once that child, who in 2004 at the Euros, the first competition I remember, walked through the streets with the flag on my back, the flag painted on my face, to the giant screens to try and watch Portugal. And I still see a bit of that child on the field, and more than that, I want those children who look up to us and idolize us so much to feel well-represented tomorrow. That’s how my dream began. Today I am here, and I hope many of them can also achieve that dream.”