Martinez Backs Spain as Underdog Before World Cup Knockout

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez admitted his team are underdogs against Spain in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16, while explaining why he substituted Cristiano Ronaldo late in the game.

Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 on July 3 to advance to the Round of 16, where they will face Spain on July 6.

After the match, Martinez commented on his team's performance and the upcoming Spain contest, saying: "We're satisfied and proud, and now we need to begin our recovery period because the next match is coming soon."

"The first half was the best first half we've played in this World Cup in terms of intensity, structure, and our determination to control the game against a team that possesses the ball more. We just lacked goals. In the second half, the game unfolded in two different ways."

"I love talking about dreams because since childhood we've dreamed about this, and of course we must keep dreaming. As a coach, I need to pave the way to make that dream reality. I know we're not favorites against Spain because teams that have won the World Cup before have psychological advantages. But I believe we've developed and grown both internally and externally. It's a very difficult match. Our dream continues."

Martinez also explained his decision to substitute Ronaldo late in the game despite the score being level: "We were taking a big risk playing with two forwards, but we needed an extra midfielder. So we took Ronaldo off."

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said: "We didn't deserve this result. Conceding a goal in the final minutes of the match is not easy, but we should have handled this situation better."