E Ronaldo Teammate Rips Into Portugal's 'Golden Generation' After FIFA WC Exit

Published 7 July 2026 · sports

E Ronaldo Teammate Rips Into Portugal's 'Golden Generation' After FIFA WC Exit Published By, Last Updated: July 07, 2026, 13:55 IST Ricardo Quaresma launched a

E Ronaldo Teammate Rips Into Portugal's 'Golden Generation' After FIFA WC Exit Published By, Last Updated: July 07, 2026, 13:55 IST Ricardo Quaresma launched a scathing attack on Portugal after their World Cup exit to Spain, saying "everything went wrong" as he also clashed with Ruben Dias. Rapid Read A dejected Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal's WC exit (AP) Portugal’s surprise World Cup exit at the hands of Spain has sparked fierce criticism back home. And one of the big names leading the front line of attack is former international Ricardo Quaresma, who delivered a brutal assessment of the national team’s tournament and questioned whether this generation has truly lived up to its billing. Despite arriving as one of the favourites, Portugal bowed out in the Round of 16 following a 1-0 defeat to Spain, extending their neighbours’ dominance in major tournament meetings. The result has triggered widespread frustration, and few voices have been louder than Quaresma’s.

‘What Have They Won?’ The former winger dismissed suggestions that the current squad is Portugal’s greatest ever. “Everyone said this team was the best in Portugal’s history, but in what way? What have they won?" Quaresma said. “We’re going home with our heads down. In midfield, we have great players, a lot of talent, but they’ve been very, very weak in this World Cup. The attack was the same, and the defense was lost. It’s best if I stop here, otherwise I’ll say things I’ll regret later." Heated Exchange With Ruben Dias Quaresma’s criticism prompted a response from defender Ruben Dias, who defended Portugal’s tactical approach against Spain. “You’ve been a player, you know what needs to be done with each player’s personality and mentality," Dias said. “When we talk about ‘playing well’ it goes beyond virtuosity. It involves having the ball and not tiring yourself out chasing it, being efficient, patient. You have to find the balance." Quaresma disagreed, insisting Portugal failed to make the most of its attacking talent.

“You have to take advantage of your teammates’ qualities," he replied. “We have Rafael Leao, Neto, Conceicao, who can look to play one-on-one and unbalance the opponent. It’s not just about having possession. You have to play further forward." Dias rejected the suggestion that Portugal lacked ambition. “We played the game we did to find our balance. Madness doesn’t bring anything positive… We played our best game against Spain since I’ve been here." ‘Spain Controlled Everything’ Quaresma, however, remained unconvinced, offering a damning verdict on Portugal’s entire World Cup campaign. “For me, everything has gone wrong from start to finish. There hasn’t been a single match where you could say we played well or that we attacked a lot and were unlucky," he said. “Even today, they handed the game to Spain from beginning to end. Spain controlled the entire match, doing whatever they wanted. When they wanted to speed things up, they sped up, when they wanted to slow things down, they slowed them down, and we were simply there without any desire, without joy, very slow." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Siddarth Sriram After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas.