Martínez: Vitinha deserves the Ballon d’Or; Win against Germany is historic

On June 4, Portugal defeated Germany 2–1 in the UEFA Nations League semifinals. At the post-match press conference, Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez spoke about the team’s performance and said Vitinha’s season was worthy of the Ballon d’Or.

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Vitinha came off the bench in this match — would you support him competing for the Ballon d’Or?

Martínez:

“Vitinha’s performances this season are plain to see. For me, there’s no doubt — he was a key player in PSG winning all those honors. I believe, with his style and efficiency, Vitinha deserves the Ballon d’Or.”

On the match itself:

“I already said yesterday that assessing all players and balancing the team is important. A good start was vital for us, because Germany at home play with a lot of energy and tempo. But we also needed to finish strong, and we did that very well.”

“João Neves was outstanding for the hour he played. Nuno Mendes played the full match, but playing extra time would have been very hard. Gonçalo Ramos was in good form, and it was important for us that Vitinha came on late in the game to help finish it.”

“He can make an impact in regular time or extra time. Portugal needs tactical flexibility — and we showed that. We also need more than just 11 players. Today, the substitutions of Semedo, young Conceição, and Vitinha added a lot to our game and helped us close it out well. Then we still had Jota, Palhinha, and others… During the Euros, I believe we’ll need even more players.”

“Today we proved we can go toe to toe with a team like Germany, and with substitutions and different tactical approaches, we added variety to our game.”

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The key to this victory was the team’s reaction after conceding and the high-intensity play for 40 minutes. How do you explain this, especially considering the players are already physically exhausted at this stage?

“I’ve spoken about the players’ commitment — they love playing for Portugal. When we have clear goals, high intensity becomes part of our identity. Tactically, today was a huge challenge. Germany took risks, opened up the game, and created one-on-one situations — it was a mental challenge.”

“We were playing Germany away. People talked about the last five matches between Portugal and Germany — our last win was 25 years ago. I think the goal we conceded shouldn’t have stood. I don’t understand why it wasn’t ruled offside.”

“The mental side was crucial. We had to respond, believe in what we were doing, dare to face the challenge and take risks — and all of that required intensity. Our strong response was due to excellent tactical execution, the result of two and a half years of work — not just two days. I’m extremely pleased and proud because this was a massive psychological test. It shows what the players have achieved over the past two and a half years.”

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Would Portugal prefer to face France or Spain in the final?

“I hadn’t talked about that before, because I thought it was more important to focus on this match. Facing Germany in a semifinal and preparing in just two days is extremely tough.”

“Now things are different — we have 24 more hours of rest, which is a huge advantage. We’re talking about France, a World Cup-winning team, and Spain, European champions — you can’t get tougher than that.”

“It’s a massive challenge, but one we can face. I’m very happy we won this match in Germany, especially in front of our fans abroad. I think they deserve even more during the Euros. Whoever we face, they’ll be strong.”

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What is the significance of this victory?

“This was a historic match filled with psychological challenges. I want to congratulate coach Humberto Coelho — we talked about the match against Germany 25 years ago. The mental side is key. This was a deserved victory. I don’t think Germany controlled the game — we dominated the second half and created scoring chances. This win is worth analyzing, but it’s also a historic one that will stay in the memories of our fans and Portuguese football.”

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What are your thoughts on Portugal’s journey and today’s match?

“I don’t like saying too much — just look at the facts. This is the national team with the highest win rate in recent years. We’ve scored the most goals, earned the most points — that’s data. Then there’s the flexibility and commitment of this squad… We may play better or worse, but our commitment is unmatched. We fight to win. Opinions may vary and have their merit, but today’s performance showed our quality and team spirit.”

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Cristiano Ronaldo has scored five goals in five matches against Germany — does that provide extra motivation?

“I don’t think so. He’s always pushing to improve. He never loses his hunger to win, and that spirit is contagious. It’s incredible — what drives him isn’t records, but the chance to get better every day. That’s extremely rare.”