Ahead of Portugal's match against Colombia, midfielder Matheus Neves spoke with reporters.

In a recent interview with SIC, you spoke emotionally about your friend Diogo Jota. Has he made any special promises to you about this World Cup that you can share?

No. First and foremost, this has always been his dream, and he really wanted to participate in the World Cup. My first World Cup was in Qatar, but unfortunately he suffered an injury and couldn't go. So for me, the most important thing is having him by our side for this World Cup, because I know that competing in such a tournament is one of his major career goals.

What are your expectations for tomorrow's match? Roberto Martínez mentioned that you've been preparing for this game for some time. Given the climate and the fact that Colombia will have strong home support in Miami, do you think those factors give them an advantage?

I hope not. We've been here for a while and have adapted to the climate and conditions in Miami. Many of our players are also accustomed to this environment—I play in Saudi Arabia, so I'm very used to this weather. I don't think Colombia will have an extra advantage because of these factors. We've done extensive preparation to minimize any gap. We know our strengths and will fight to win. I hope these factors won't affect either side, because we all want to play a great match.

You're a regular for the national team, but you haven't played much in this World Cup. How do you handle that situation in the team, and how do you stay mentally sharp watching from the bench?

Obviously, it's harder to watch from the sidelines, but we must always be ready to play when called upon. The coach has said there are no substitutes in this national team—we all know we must be prepared to help the team at any moment.

In a competition like this, we've seen many examples where every player matters and everyone will have their moment. We train for this every day. Players who haven't had much playing time have been training very hard and performing well precisely so they can step in when needed.

Do you agree with the coach's view that finishing first or second in the group doesn't matter?

No. We're here focusing on the three group-stage matches first. We know that later on, it won't matter who we face—we have to qualify from the group first. That's our sole focus right now.

We know we're very close to achieving that goal. We want to win every match, and we'll aim for victory in each one, because we're a team capable of doing that. As for tomorrow, we'll do everything we can to win, then look ahead to the next opponent.

Are you aware of the millions of Portuguese fans in Bangladesh who support Cristiano Ronaldo? When Portugal beats teams like Uruguay, thousands celebrate in the streets. How does that make you feel?

Thank you for that. He has fans all over the world, which is incredible for us. No matter where we travel, we feel like we're playing at home, and everyone wants us to win. For a national team, to feel that kind of support is truly remarkable.

You've won two UEFA Nations League titles with Portugal, so you understand what it takes to win a major tournament. What does this Portugal team need to do to have a chance at winning the World Cup?

This is a very important competition. We must focus on every match, as I've said—one game at a time. First, we need to get out of the group stage, which is our current priority. As for tomorrow, we'll do everything possible to win, then think about what comes next.

What threats do you see from Colombia? How well do you know them, and how have they performed in their first two matches? How much would losing first place in the group affect you?

I can't answer that because we're not thinking about losing—we're only thinking about winning. That's where our focus is. We know Colombia is a very strong team, and we've watched their first two matches; they've performed very well. We're preparing for this match as best we can, hoping to take the victory.

You provide excellent structural support through your long passing and distribution. However, Colombia's defense—Lucumí and Dávinson Sánchez—has conceded only one goal and made 12 clearances so far. How do you plan to disrupt their rhythm and create space for your forwards?

That's exactly what we've been working on. I think we've improved significantly in that area from the first match to the second. We need to continue finding the right spaces, identifying gaps between the lines, and creating opportunities for our forwards—we have the quality to do that.

We also need to create one-on-one situations. From a defensive standpoint, our job is to spot these opportunities and deliver the right passes. That's what we hope to execute in tomorrow's match.

Portugal has shown two very different performances in this tournament—the first match disappointed many at home, while the second match restored confidence. How do you experience that contrast within the team? As you move to Colombia, the intensity rises further, preparing you for the knockout stage. What kind of Portugal do you want to see going forward?

In a competition like this, every match is difficult. Fortunately, we see similar situations with other national teams. Obviously, we play every match to win and will strive to deliver our best. We know our first match against Congo wasn't our best, so we had to adjust for the second match. The second match went very well, and we showed our usual level.

As you mentioned, we need to continue improving against Colombia because I hope we have many more matches ahead. If we can be a little bit better in each match than the last, we can go far.

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