Portugal forward João Félix attended a press conference at the national team training camp. This is the first part of that coverage.

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Good morning, João. Some time has passed since the Colombia match. Looking back on it with some distance, how would you assess it? What went well and what didn't? Given that the next match against Croatia is a knockout tie—a must-win—what areas need urgent improvement?

Good morning. It was a very difficult match, as we expected. Colombia is not a weak team. Everyone knows their individual quality and their overall teamwork. I think we got caught up in their rhythm a bit. It was a match with frequent transitions between attack and defense, and we lacked sufficient control during the game. We've already discussed this internally, and today we'll analyze that match in more detail. We need to improve, look at what we could have done better, and correct some of our mistakes. Observe and improve—that's all we can do right now.

Good morning, João. My question is this: many Portuguese people are currently disappointed with the team's recent results, and some even feel a lack of confidence. Before this brutal knockout stage begins, what would you like to say to the Portuguese people at this moment?

What I can say and promise is effort and dedication. Please stay calm. We players here are very calm as well, and two draws won't make us doubt ourselves or lose confidence. This is the FIFA World Cup. Every match is very difficult, and even matches that people might think are easy often turn out to be very hard. So everyone should stay calm like we do and prepare fully for Croatia. We have very strong confidence that we will win the match and do everything to advance to the next stage.

Hello, João. Now let's focus on the next opponent. If I'm not mistaken, your international debut goal was against Croatia, right? You've scored so many that you probably don't remember them all. A creative player like you can make an enormous difference on the pitch. So, facing Croatia—especially in a knockout tie like this where we must win—does this match bring you more excitement, or are you approaching it with caution, perhaps even some concern?

Yes, we know Croatia very well. We've played them countless times, and I've played against them several times myself. Even under the current Roberto Martínez regime, we've faced them multiple times. We know exactly what to expect from them and what we need to do. I actually think it's an advantage to play them again because they're a team we're familiar with. We're accustomed to watching how they play, and we've already competed against them.

So we know their strengths very well, and we also know their weaknesses. What we need to do is analyze this information and use it as best we can. I've already joked with the manager that if I score when he's near the goal in our attacking third, I'll definitely grab his toupee and put it on him (laughs). I really hope that moment comes.

Hello, João. People often use the word "change," but change only matters when it goes in a better direction. What I want to ask is: do we really need change right now? Is it simply a matter of adjusting certain details, or do you think there's actually no need to change anything?

That's entirely up to the manager. There actually was a change between the first and second matches, and they worked well. At that point, everything looked good, even perfect. Now in the third match, we didn't perform as well as in the second, but I don't think we played poorly either. Whether change is needed is for the manager to decide and analyze. He's the one with the final say.

Whoever starts in the eleven, I believe they'll perform excellently. In fact, the substitutes who came on also made a big contribution. Everyone must be ready and willing to help; that's the only way we can move forward. This mindset needs to be ingrained in everyone's mind.

Good morning, João. I hope you don't mind if I take you on a brief journey to the past and future. In the last tournament at this level—the European Championship against France—your shot hit the post in the final moments and ultimately led to our elimination. I see you playing with a lot of confidence in this World Cup and performing very well, but I'm somewhat curious: do moments like that leave a mark? Do they cause psychological trauma? How do you overcome them? If the next match goes to penalties, are you ready to take one?

Since I was young, when I started playing football and participated in various tournaments at ages 8, 9, 10, 11, my father always taught me to be brave and take responsibility, whether during matches or in penalties. I remember a story from a Spanish tournament. I scored with my first penalty. Later, the third or fourth penalty was supposed to be taken by another teammate, but no one stepped up. So I wanted to run up and take the second penalty, but of course, the rules don't allow that. So this characteristic has always been part of me. My father always instilled this mindset in me.

Of course, that moment when I hit the post was really difficult, especially in the first week. But that's part of a professional footballer's career. It's normal to face adversity in your career. However, I don't see it as a failure—I see it as a learning experience. If I had to take another penalty, I'd have no problem at all. I'd take it. I had no psychological barriers before, and I won't have any now.

AI 번역.

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