Vitinha, the 25-year-old midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal, spoke to CNN on the sidelines of the Globe Soccer Awards ceremony. He discussed playing the 2026 World Cup with ambition and expressed his deep respect for Diogo Jota and André Silva (Portuguese players who died in a car accident last summer), as well as the Champions League and coach Luis Enrique.
Vitinha said, “We want to win it for him too.”
How do you recover from Diogo Jota’s tragic accident? Is there a special desire within the national team to win the World Cup in their honor?
It’s difficult to talk about. No one wants to be in such a situation. It’s a tragic and painful loss for everyone. I especially imagine what his parents, his wife, his children are feeling… That’s what I think about most often when I think of him.
We feel it and we want to win it, not just because it’s a World Cup and everyone dreams of winning it, but also for him.
Vitinha: “We are among the contenders, but I don’t consider us favorites.”
Can Portugal really aim for the title?
We are one of the best national teams, so of course it’s realistic. We have to keep our feet on the ground. We have to be aware that it won’t be easy. I think we can go far. I think we are among the contenders, but I don’t consider us favorites.
You already played in the United States last summer during the Club World Cup.
I loved it there, but with the heat and the intensity of the matches we have throughout the season, it’s really difficult to be there, having to win every match, giving your best in every duel, in every match, on every ball.
We’re coming here with one overriding goal: to win the World Cup. I think the team that’s best prepared, both physically and mentally, will be the one that wins.
Vitinha: “He’s a genius.”
What does Luis Enrique bring to the table?
Luis Enrique arrived at the club and changed everything, for the club as well as for me personally. I raised my game and reached a higher level.
He’s a genius, both tactically and technically. I think his main strength lies in his people skills: his way of communicating, his ability to put you at ease naturally.
Vitinha: “We have to focus on the future.”
The Champions League final?
It was like a movie, what we did last year. It was one of the best days of my life. I dreamed about it. The night before my first Champions League final, a thousand scenarios were running through my mind. I never imagined it would be this perfect, with a 5-0 scoreline.
And now?
That’s in the past. We have to make the most of it. We need to focus on the future. We’ll have time to look back and enjoy the past, but I don’t think dwelling on it will help us right now. We have many titles to win, and the whole team and I will be ready to do whatever it takes to achieve them.
