Portuguese national team coach Roberto Martinez appeared in press statements after qualifying for the UEFA Nations League final by defeating Germany 2-1 in the semi-finals of the tournament.

The coach said: "Do you support Vitinha's nomination for the Ballon d'Or? The only thing that matters is what Vitinha is doing this season. For me, without a doubt. He is a player who has been essential for Paris Saint-Germain in winning all the titles they have won. I believe that due to Vitinha's style and efficiency, he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or."

He added: "Regarding the match, I already said yesterday that it is important to evaluate all the players and balance the team. For us, it was very important to start well because Germany plays very strongly at home, in a very dynamic way. But we had to finish the match well. We did that very well."

He continued: "João Neves played for an hour at a very high level, while Nuno Mendes played the entire match, Gonzalo Ramos was performing well, and Vitinha was extremely important for us because he came in and finished the match. Portugal needs to be tactically flexible - and that’s what we did - and to be a team with more than 11 players."

He followed: "Today, Nelson Semedo, Chico Conceição, and Vitinha participated and contributed a lot to finishing the match. Then we have Diogo Jota and Palhinha... During the Euro, I felt we needed more players. We showed today that we are capable of playing face to face with a team like Germany, but then we can add value during the match through changes and different tactical concepts."

He stated: "Portugal's first victory on German soil in 40 years? It was a historic match, full of psychological pressure; I believe the psychological aspect is important. It is a deserved victory. I think Germany did not dominate the match, but we controlled it and improved our performance in the second half through scoring opportunities. It is a victory worth analyzing, but it is a historic victory that will remain in the memory of our fans and Portuguese football."

He mentioned: "How do you evaluate your career with Portugal? I don’t like to talk. You can look at the team that has achieved the highest win rate in recent decades. The highest number of goals and points. These are the statistics. So, the flexibility and commitment that this team has... We can play better or worse, but the commitment is maximum and we fight to win. Opinions are relative, and they may have their reasons. But for us, today's performance shows the quality and what we have in the locker room."

He concluded: "Ronaldo has scored 5 goals in 5 matches against Germany; did he have additional motivation today? I don't think so. He wants to improve constantly. He hasn’t lost his hunger, and that’s contagious. It’s amazing. It’s not the records that drive you, but the opportunity you have to become better every day that drives you. It’s very hard to achieve that."