Bruno Fernandes says Portugal's World Cup exit was a missed opportunity

Bruno Fernandes did not dress it up after Portugal's exit to Spain. Mikel Merino's stoppage-time winner had already ended the run, and Fernandes was blunt about what it meant. “It was a missed opportunity,” he said, while [Roberto Martinez] kept trying to soften the blow.

Fernandes versus Martinez on the night

Fernandes' verdict cut against the manager's line almost immediately. Martinez said, “We didn't fail. We lost a game, against a team that's one of the favourites. We showed incredible individual talent. Winning or losing is about details in the big games, with big teams. You fail when you don't try to win, and we tried to win until the last minute.”

That is a fair case to make after a last-16 defeat, especially given Portugal won only one of their group games before the Portugal vs Spain loss. But Fernandes' reading was the harsher, and probably the more honest one. Portugal were out, and the overall assessment, in his words, “can't be positive”.

The performance numbers sit closer to his version than Martinez's gloss. Fernandes finished on a 6.28 rating, below the standard he usually sets in these games, and Portugal failed to score in the 1-0 defeat.

Ronaldo's quieter tournament

The other reason the conversation turned quickly was Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portugal captain said, “I'm sad to leave the World Cup like this. But as I said in the press conference, I gave everything. I gave my best, and I leave with a clear conscience.” He also said it was his last World Cup, while adding that he does not make decisions in the heat of the moment.

The tournament numbers explain why his role came under scrutiny. Ronaldo created only one chance for a team-mate in five games. Against Spain, he played the full 90 minutes, had two shots on target from three attempts, and finished with a 6.41 rating.

Martinez defended him by saying, “He creates space, adapts to situations. It's very important to have someone like that inside the penalty area.” That is the tactical defence, but it does not erase how quiet the final stretch of the tournament felt for him.

The post-match scenes underlined how tight the margins were. Rodri later admitted, “I made a mistake because I celebrated when he had failed. I apologised to him immediately,” after an emotional exchange, while Lamine Yamal embraced Ronaldo and Pablo Gavi later told João Cancelo, “Always together, brother.”