Portugal will aim to build on the memories of Diogo Jota as they bid for an elusive FIFA World Cup title, mid-fielder Ruben Neves said on Monday. Jota died last year in a car accident in Spain on July 3, shortly after playing an integral part in Portugal’s second UEFA Nations League triumph. Never, one of the late Liverpool forward’s closest friends having playing alongside him for the national side and at both FC Porto and Wolverhampton, reflected on Jota’s memories on Monday. Speaking after the Portuguese team’s first training camp for the World Cup in the United States, Neves said: “We’ve talked about it a lot and we always say the same thing.” “Sometimes you need to hold on to something to give you that extra bit of strength. That will be one of the things that can give us that extra strength at certain moments and help us get where we want to go.” ALSO READ | FIFA World Cup 2026: Full friendlies schedule of top teams before group stage matches Despite being part of two European championships, Jota could not fulfill a World Cup spot after missing the 2022 edition due to injury. The 29-year-old Neves had struck the decisive penalty in the final against Spain last year, handing Portugal their third major European title since 2016. Story continues below this ad “After that match, I said it had been one of the most important goals of my career — if not the most important,” he said. “So if it happens again in this World Cup, and it helps the team progress to the next round or even win the tournament, that would be great. But I’d prefer to win within 90 minutes and not have to go to penalties. We’re focused on what we can achieve as a team.” The Al-Hilal mid-fielder is confident that the Portuguese side led by superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is now immune to the pressure stages. “All the players in the national team are more than used to this kind of pressure,” Neves said. “We recently had four players [Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves, and Gonçalo Ramos] win the Champions League for the second time [with Paris Saint-Germain]. We are a young but experienced squad. “We take this in our stride because we know we have the quality and that we can achieve great things for Portugal. Our aim is to reach the final, win and return with the World Cup in our hands,” Neves said.Story continues below this ad Headlining Group K, Portugal will face DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia in the group-stage matches.
Portugal will hold onto Diogo Jota’s memory for extra strength in 2026 World Cup: Ruben Neves
