Matheus Nunes, born in Brazil, is excited to once again represent Portugal on the world stage at the World Cup. He credits the European nation for kickstarting his football journey.
The Manchester City right-back moved from Rio de Janeiro to Lisbon at the age of 12 and was first called up to the Portuguese national team in September 2021.
Although he received an invitation to play for Brazil under Tite prior to his selection for Portugal, he declined that opportunity.
“Choosing Portugal was a tough decision because I’m emotionally connected to both countries,” Nunes stated at a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida. “In football, however, I owe more to Portugal. It’s where I began playing seriously; in Brazil, I hadn’t been registered with the federation.”
“I’m proud to have chosen Portugal, but I still have a strong connection to Brazil. I visit regularly during the holidays, and many family members and friends from Rio come to the U.S. to watch the games. I cherish the culture and the music from Brazil, and those ties will always remain. I consider myself half and half, and that will never change.”
When asked if he dreams of facing Brazil in the World Cup final, Nunes, who was part of the Portugal team that reached the quarterfinals four years ago in Qatar, responded, “That would be special. My main goal is to reach the final and win.”
The 27-year-old is eager to support Cristiano Ronaldo, who is 41, in his quest to win a World Cup for the first time.
“Did I ever picture myself playing alongside him? Never,” Nunes admitted about Ronaldo. “Just ten years ago, I was in the sixth division in Portugal. It’s an honor to be here with him, and if we could win the title for him, that would be incredible. This is the pinnacle for any player, and while I’m thrilled to be here, my ultimate aim is to win.”
“It’s about seizing the opportunity. This is the most beautiful competition in the world; we’re representing our country and playing for 10 million people.”
“The emotion I want to experience is pride. It would be fantastic to walk away with the title, but if that doesn’t happen, we’ll know we put in our best effort.”
Portugal has finally begun training in the U.S. as they prepare to face Congo DR in their World Cup Group K opener on Wednesday.
Their initial training session was canceled on Sunday due to severe weather in the West Palm Beach area.
On Monday, defender Rúben Dias practiced separately from the squad, leading to concerns about his availability for Portugal’s opening match.