Portugal's coach Roberto Martinez spoke after the disappointing 2-2 draw against Hungary in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which means the Portuguese team will have to wait until the next international break to secure their qualification for the World Cup.

The coach began by discussing the match's events: "This is football. A match that reminds us that there are no easy encounters. Hungary entered the game with great focus, especially on set pieces, which are one of their strengths. We faced difficulties, but we showed strong character and scored two wonderful goals. In the second half, we started excellently, and we missed opportunities, including two hits on the post and a shot from Joao Felix. In the end, emotions took over, and we lost control. It’s an important lesson for us."

Regarding the last-minute goal: "In football, that can happen to any team. We saw Iceland equalize against France. The important thing is to learn from these lessons. Hungary did not build the attack with twenty passes; it was a long ball that ended in a goal. We need to be more focused in the final minutes."

On defensive issues: "We struggled to deal with set pieces, which we knew beforehand. The most important thing is how we react. When you don't close out the match, tension begins, and the opponent benefits from that. We cannot give the opponents eight or nine extra minutes of hope."

Regarding the loss of control in the final minutes: "We tried to be more pragmatic in the end, but that’s not our style. We need to learn how to close out matches better without losing our attacking identity."

He emphasized: "The players feel disappointed, but they possess experience and responsibility. Our goal was to finish the qualifiers today, but perhaps it’s better to play two more competitive matches in November before the World Cup. We gathered four points in this camp, and we will prepare strongly for what’s to come."

He concluded about the team's performance: "We had outstanding periods in the match and scored two beautiful goals through Cristiano Ronaldo, but the small details decided the match. It’s an important experience on our way to the World Cup."