Portugal vs Croatia opens Roberto Martínez’s second Mundial in Toronto, and the coach wants the Round of 16 treated as the start of a new path. He said the team now has to win, with no room for drifting past the next match.
Vitinha Sets The Tone
Vitinha gave the clearest picture of the dressing room’s mood. He said Portugal must take the game where it wants it, and he described Croatia as similar because it also likes to have the ball.
He added that both sides are more dangerous when they control possession, and he pointed to the earlier meeting between Portugal and Croatia in the Liga das Nações. For him, that removes most of the mystery around the matchup in Toronto.
Roberto Martínez And Rotation
Martínez pushed the same idea from a squad-management angle. He said being in a national team means living with competition among 26 players and 5 substitutions, and that the key is the attitude of wearing the shirt.
He also said Portugal has already used 21 players, a number he noted is not common at this level. That leaves the next selection decision open for a group that is still fighting for minutes, with Ramos and Matheus Nunes among the names in that mix.
Modric, Gvardiol, Kovacic
Vitinha also singled out Modric, Gvardiol, and Kovacic as great players, but he refused to give Croatia more than that. He said Portugal is not looking for excuses and is focused on what happens inside the squad before the match in Toronto.
He framed the tournament as two separate phases: Portugal finished the first Mundial and now begins the second. He said the team has self-criticism, does not listen to outside noise, and is ready to see what comes after Croatia only once this game is done.
That is the practical tension heading into Toronto. Portugal has already rotated through 21 players, the lineup is still a live issue, and Martínez’s comments suggest the staff want the next 90 minutes to decide who stays central to the second Mundial.
