{"id":2463,"date":"2026-06-30T17:45:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T14:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/joao-felix-urges-portugal-fans-to-stay-calm-before-croatia-clash\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T17:45:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T14:45:14","slug":"joao-felix-urges-portugal-fans-to-stay-calm-before-croatia-clash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/joao-felix-urges-portugal-fans-to-stay-calm-before-croatia-clash\/","title":{"rendered":"Jo\u00e3o F\u00e9lix Urges Portugal Fans to Stay Calm Before Croatia Clash"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Jo\u00e3o F\u00e9lix has urged Portugal supporters to keep their nerves in check ahead of Thursday\u2019s World Cup Round of 32 meeting with Croatia, insisting the squad remains confident despite an uneven group-stage campaign.<\/p>\n<h2>Portugal\u2019s group-stage rollercoaster<\/h2>\n<p>Portugal arrived at the knockout rounds among the tournament\u2019s leading contenders, but they did not finish first in Group K. The team progressed in second place after a goalless draw with Colombia on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier in the group, Portugal posted a dominant 5-0 win over Uzbekistan. Their opening match, though, ended in disappointment as they were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo.<\/p>\n<h2>F\u00e9lix calls for calm before Croatia test<\/h2>\n<p>Speaking with a direct message to the home crowd, Jo\u00e3o F\u00e9lix said fans should not read too much into the results so far.<\/p>\n<blockquote><\/blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cThey [Portuguese fans] should rest assured,\u201d F\u00e9lix said.<\/li>\n<li>He added: drawing two games does not mean Portugal are any less confident heading into the knockout stage.<\/li>\n<li>F\u00e9lix stressed that, \u201cIt\u2019s the World Cup,\u201d and urged everyone to \u201cstay calm,\u201d insisting Portugal are \u201cvery confident\u201d about beating Croatia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Expecting penalties \u2014 and learning from past heartbreak<\/h2>\n<p>F\u00e9lix believes the match with Croatia could be tight and suggested he would not shy away from taking a spot-kick if the game goes to penalties. He previously struck the post during a penalty shootout defeat to France in the quarterfinals of Euro 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Reflecting on that moment, the 26-year-old framed it as part of a player\u2019s development.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>He acknowledged the experience was difficult, but said it \u201cis part of a player\u2019s career.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>F\u00e9lix described it as a \u201clearning experience,\u201d adding that if he is given another chance from the spot, he will \u201cstep up.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>He also credited guidance from his father, saying he has been going to tournaments since the age of 10 and was always told to rise to pressure, \u201cwhether in the game or on penalty kicks.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Renewed confidence after a breakthrough year in Saudi Arabia<\/h2>\n<p>Entering his second World Cup, Jo\u00e3o F\u00e9lix says he arrives with a stronger mindset. After a difficult spell at Chelsea and AC Milan, he rediscovered his form in the Saudi Pro League.<\/p>\n<p>In his first season in Saudi Arabia, F\u00e9lix helped Al Nassr win the league title and was named Saudi Pro League player of the season.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>F\u00e9lix said the year has been \u201cvery important\u201d for his career.<\/li>\n<li>He added that he feels confident, ready to contribute, and \u201cmore mature\u201d than before.<\/li>\n<li>He described it as an \u201cincredible year,\u201d and said he is coming into the tournament with belief \u201cmore confident than ever.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Working with Cristiano Ronaldo at club level<\/h3>\n<p>At Al Nassr, F\u00e9lix lined up alongside Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo in attack, a partnership that shaped how the forward views their chemistry now.<\/p>\n<p>Ronaldo, 41, also made history for his goal-scoring record at the tournament level by netting twice against Uzbekistan, becoming the first player to score in six World Cups.<\/p>\n<p>F\u00e9lix highlighted how playing together for a season helps players understand each other\u2019s preferences and movement.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>He said a year of playing alongside Ronaldo is \u201ca long time.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>F\u00e9lix believes they learned what the other needs and what they like, improving their connection in the final third.<\/li>\n<li>He added that he feels they form a strong attacking duo, noting Ronaldo knows where F\u00e9lix prefers to receive the ball and \u201cvice versa.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>F\u00e9lix concluded that Ronaldo is \u201can asset wherever he plays.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Adapting between Europe and the Saudi Pro League<\/h3>\n<p>Despite differences in pace and intensity between European leagues and the Saudi Pro League, F\u00e9lix insists he is just as prepared as his Portugal teammates.<\/p>\n<p>He said the competition remains demanding and that he did not previously believe it would match the intensity he experiences in European football. F\u00e9lix also argued that, once he joined the national team, he noticed no major gap in intensity compared to his teammates and opponents.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>He said the league is competitive, even if it is not the same.<\/li>\n<li>F\u00e9lix added that he feels good heading into the tournament and believes proper preparation leads to strong performances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jo\u00e3o F\u00e9lix has urged Portugal supporters to keep their nerves in check ahead of Thursday\u2019s World Cup Round of 32 meeting with Croatia, insisting the squad remains confident despite an uneven group-stage campaign. Portugal\u2019s group-stage rollercoaster Portugal arrived at the knockout rounds among the tournament\u2019s leading contenders, but they did not finish first in Group [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Portugal vs Croatia: Jo\u00e3o F\u00e9lix Calls for Calm","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Jo\u00e3o F\u00e9lix tells Portugal fans to stay calm as the World Cup Round of 32 clash with Croatia looms, despite a shaky group-stage run","mma_seo_breadcrumb_text":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_url":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_hide_ui":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_labels":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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