Portugal face Hungary in Lisbon, aiming to confirm World Cup qualification for next year’s tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico
A win, plus Armenia dropping points against Ireland, would seal their spot. Portugal are unbeaten in 15 meetings with Hungary, winning the last four
Vitinha, fresh off a treble-winning season with PSG and a third-place Ballon d’Or finish, said the team’s focus is on wrapping up qualification early
Portugal Vs Hungary, FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Vitinha Vows All-Out Effort As POR Eye Early Qualification
Portugal aim to seal early World Cup 2026 spot with a win over Hungary, unbeaten in 15 meetings, as Vitinha targets swift qualification after a stellar season with PSG
Summary
Portugal will not hold back in their bid to secure World Cup qualification as they look to continue their "habit" of reaching the finals, says Vitinha.
A win over Hungary in Lisbon on Tuesday, coupled with Armenia failing to beat the Republic of Ireland, would book Portugal's place in next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Portugal have never lost to Hungary in 15 previous meetings (W11 D4), winning each of their last four, including a 3-2 victory in the reverse fixture in September.
The Selecao, who have won all three of their matches so far to top Group F, have qualified for each of the last six World Cups, reaching the quarter-finals in Qatar in 2022.
And Vitinha wants to wrap up their qualification as early as possible.
Asked in a pre-match press conference if qualifying for the World Cup was their biggest motivation, Vitinha said: "Without a doubt. We have that firmly in mind.
"We can now secure our place in the World Cup. It's become a habit; we've developed this habit of being present, but it's not easy.
"And then we can have a more relaxed training camp in November, even though we always want to win. It's a great opportunity to secure our qualification, and we'll give it our all."
At this year's Ballon d'Or awards, Vitinha was ranked third, behind Ousmane Dembele and Lamie Yamal.
The midfielder was a key part of Paris Saint-Germain's treble-winning side last term, as they won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and their maiden Champions League crown.
"It's always very subjective, always largely dependent on people's opinions," he said when asked if the Ballon d'Or rankings had changed anything for him.
"I'm incredibly happy; it wouldn't have been possible without the work of my colleagues — it's a cliche, but it's true.
"I'm grateful to the people on my journey, which is far from over. If I can do better, even better, but my life hasn't changed at all.
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"But I'm happy day to day. It's an individual satisfaction. My family and friends, of course, are very happy."
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