Rúben Neves: “We’ll do our utmost so Diogo Jota can win the World Cup with us” | OneFootball

The new football season is about to kick off all around Europe, and enthusiasm is naturally high among all football fans as they hope their club will enjoy a memorable campaign.

However, many are already looking further ahead to next summer’s World Cup. Portugal begin their pathway to FIFA World Cup 2026 with two away matches against Armenia and Hungary next month.

Rúben Neves says the Seleção will be more determined than ever to win Portugal’s maiden World Cup in the wake of the tragic death of Diogo Jota.

Jota and Neves played together a total of 164 times for FC Porto, Wolves and Portugal, and the two players and their respective families were extremely close.

After the car accident on 3 July that killed Jota and his brother André Silva, Neves was one of the first to express his shock and his sadness and to pay tribute to Jota. He helped carry the coffin to its final resting place in Gondomar on the day of the funeral.

Speaking to Portuguese journalist and author Luís Freitas Lobo on the TV programme Futebol Arte, Neves said:

“Without doubt the strength that Jota gave us on the pitch – and he was known for his strength, his determination, his resolve – I think that each one of us [in the Portugal squad] has inherited a bit of what Diogo was like on the pitch. We’re going to do our utmost so he can win this trophy with us.”

Injury permitting, Neves will be travelling to the tournament hosted in USA, Canada and Mexico. The midfielder has often divided opinion regarding his place in the squad, but he has been a firm favourite of Portugal coach Roberto Martínez and the Al-Hilal midfielder played a prominent role in the recent Nations League victory, playing both in the semi-final against Germany and in the decisive match against Spain and scoring the winning penalty in the shootout in the final.

It will be Neves’ second World Cup having played in Qatar. “I’ve played in a World Cup and I tell everybody that it’s the toughest tournament I’ve ever played in,” he added.

“We have always been determined to try and win the World Cup for Portugal. Now we have an even greater force motivating us.”