Portugal player explains why he rejected Brazil: "I owe more"
Brazilian naturalized Portuguese midfielder Matheus Nunes explained why he chose to represent Portugal instead of Brazil. The Manchester City player is with the Quinas team for the World Cup.
The midfielder was born in Rio de Janeiro, but moved to Lisbon at the age of 12 and was called up for the first time to the Portuguese national team in September 2021. He had been invited to play for Tite's Brazilian team before that, but turned down the opportunity.
"It was difficult to make the decision (to play for Portugal) because I feel connected to both countries. In football, I owe more to Portugal than to Brazil. It was there that I spent the period in which I started playing professionally, I was never registered with the CBF. I am very proud to have chosen Portugal", he explained.
However, Matheus Nunes does not deny his Brazilian roots. "I have a very strong bond with Brazil. Whenever I have time on vacation I go there. I love the culture, I listen to Brazilian music, I will never lose these ties, just like I have with Portugal. I am half and half and that will never change", he added.
When asked if he would like to face Brazil in the World Cup final, Nunes, who was part of the Portuguese team that reached the quarter-finals four years ago in Qatar, said: "It would be special. What I want is to be in the final. What I want is to win."
Nunes, 27, wants to help Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, win the World Cup for the first time.
"Did I ever imagine playing alongside him? Never. Ten years ago, I was in the sixth division of Portugal. I never imagined that. It's an honor to be here with him, and we're very happy to be here with him. If we could win the title for him, it would be fantastic," he declared.
Portugal in the World Cup
Portugal is in Group K of the World Cup and debuts in the competition against the Democratic Republic of Congo next Wednesday (17), at 2pm (Brasília time), at the NRG Stadium, in Houston, Texas. The Portuguese still face Uzbekistan and Colombia.
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Source: CNN