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Bruno Fernandes has pointed to Portugal's defensive second-half tactics during its 1–0 loss to Spain as the primary reason for its World Cup elimination on Monday.
Portugal was knocked out after falling to its Iberian rivals in the round of 16, with Mikel Merino netting the only goal of the match in the 91st minute. The defeat means Portugal has failed to progress past the round of 16 in four of the last five World Cups.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who was playing in what is widely considered to be his last-ever World Cup appearance, has faced considerable criticism for underwhelming displays throughout Portugal's exit. However, Fernandes believes it was a change in tactics that ultimately proved fatal in Texas.
"It's a heartbreaking moment. We had a clear goal of winning the World Cup, but we simply weren't at our best," said the Manchester United skipper.
"In the first half, we were the better side, but in the second half we made the same mistake of sitting too deep and surrendering possession. When that happens, we end up paying the price.
"Spain deserves full credit, but I believe that had we kept doing what we were doing in the first half, we would have walked away with a different outcome."
Fernandes continued: "The assessment cannot be a positive one. It would only be positive if we had gone all the way.
I know we've never won a World Cup and we always set our expectations very high, but, with some confidence, this squad had the quality to win it.
"There's no reason to lose belief. We lost to one of the tournament favorites and we need to look at things differently going forward. We have to stay true to our identity, play our own game, and find ways to earn more respect from opposing teams."
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Roberto Martínez Bears Brunt of Criticism
Fernandes may yet get another chance to deliver Portugal its first-ever title in 2030—where the team will be playing some matches on home soil—but no such opportunity will be extended to Martínez, who stepped down from his role following the defeat to Spain.
The Spaniard was already a divisive appointment as Portugal manager, partly because he was only the fourth foreign coach ever to take the job, but also due to his inability to deliver a World Cup triumph with Belgium's celebrated golden generation.
Belgium achieved a third-place finish under Martínez in 2018, before enduring a dismal campaign in which they failed to make it out of the group stage in 2022. In between, the Red Devils were eliminated at the quarterfinal stage of Euro 2020.
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Martínez got off to a brilliant start with Portugal, winning his opening 11 games in charge, and subsequently led the side to the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League title. However, his reluctance to drop Cristiano Ronaldo and other tactical deficiencies contributed to a disappointing World Cup campaign in North America.
Portugal won only two of their five matches and, aside from a 5–0 demolition of debutants Uzbekistan, fell well short of the standards expected from such a gifted squad. For that, Martínez must shoulder the blame, as he must for a damaging second-half display against Spain on Monday.