Portugal had to face the media ahead of their next match against Uzbekistan and naturally the questions were about Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo had a disastrous opener to the 2026 World Cup in a 1-1 draw with DR Congo, failing with three shots off target and being accused of blocking his teammates.
Roberto Martinez had to field questions about dropping his captain, and the noise hasn’t died down since.
Yet first up to face the media was one of the youngest players in the squad, Francisco Conceicao.
Sadly for the Juventus winger, his first question was over whether he and his teammates felt a pressure to pass to Ronaldo.
‘We don’t have to pass to Ronaldo’
“I think Cristiano… when it comes to scoring goals, there’s no one like him,” he said.
“We don’t feel that obligation or need; I pass the ball to whoever is better positioned. He’s here to help, just like any other player.”
Conceicao then went on to discuss the fact that he was born a few months after Ronaldo’s national team debut in 2002.
“He’s an example, through his career, through the hunger he demonstrates every day, super motivated to train as if it were his last,” he said.
“If he’s achieved so much and continues with such hunger, ours has to be even greater.
“He’s another one who’s here to help; we need everyone for the team to function.”
Conceicao on FC Porto
Conceicao then faced some more awkward questions about his relationship with FC Porto.
He left the club when their coach, and his father, Sergio departed after Andre Villas-Boas won the elections in 2024.
Asked about one of the presidents comments, he responded: “I don’t have to comment on the words of the FC Porto president.
“It’s his opinion, and it’s not up to me to comment on it.”
He was then asked about his father replacing Roberto Martinez as national team coach and similarly batted it away.
“I don’t need to comment, we have the utmost respect for each other, we’re focused on the World Cup,” he said.
“It wouldn’t be respectful of me to comment on that.”
Slightly less controversially, Conceicao was then asked about his father playing alongside Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro and if he had any advice.
“He’s my biggest advisor, he helps me a lot in football and in my personal life,” he said.
“We haven’t spoken, I know he was a great player, I know what the strategy will be, I know Italian coaches well, it will be to delay the goal as much as possible. We know the difficulties.”
Asked about his father’s expereinces at the World Cup, he finished: “I don’t think it went that well, they were eliminated in the group stage [laughs].
“It’s always a source of pride to know that my father played in a World Cup and that I’m here now. I hope the story will be different.
“He said they went in with a lot of ambition and that the goal was to go as far as possible. That one mistake can ruin everything.”
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