Vitinha Urges Fans to Keep Believing Ahead of Croatia Match

JAKARTA - Vitinha urged the Portuguese fans to keep believing in the team ahead of the 2026 World Cup 1/8 final match against Croatia in Toronto on Friday, July 3, 2026, morning WIB.

Portugal has been criticized for their less than satisfactory performance in the group stage. As the favorites to win Group K, the Selecao finished in second place in the group after a disappointing draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia.

"I fully understand the doubts and criticism. We welcome them with open arms. We don't just want a pat on the back."

"We know when we play badly and when we play well. We want to thank you for all the support you have given us so far and ask you, once again, to support us and believe in us."

"Nobody wants to win more than us. Nobody wants to give their best more than us. We're there for our family and our country."

"We are the ones most interested in playing well and wanting to win," the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder said at a press conference.

Vitinha, who completed another outstanding season at PSG - retaining the Ligue 1 and Champions League titles - knows that he and his teammates must improve their game.

"I hope, I will do my part - to improve my own level of play, as well as the team. It is impossible to separate the individual from the team."

"That's why I hope the team plays well. Then the individual players can stand out. Hopefully the individual players will encourage each other to make the team work."

"It's true that our last few games have not been ideal, not what we expected. There is still time to improve and we need to improve ourselves."

"We know what we have to do to play better defensively and offensively. We'll be much closer to advancing," he said.