Fernando Santos

The Manchester United midfielder scored twice as Fernando Santos' side guaranteed their passage into the knockout stage with a match to spare after downing Uruguay at Lusail Stadium.

Portugal's opener was initially credited to Cristiano Ronaldo, who appeared to faintly glance home Fernandes' 54th-minute cross, but FIFA eventually intervened and awarded it to the latter.

Fernandes sealed the points from the penalty spot in the closing stages and is now focused on securing top spot in Group H by avoiding defeat against South Korea on Friday.

"I don't really think it matters who scored the goal at this point," he said when asked about Portugal's first strike. "The feeling I had at the time was that Cristiano touched the ball. I was passing the ball to him.

"But what's important is that we were able to go on to the next round after a very important win against a tough opponent.

"The importance of being first [in Group H] includes winning the next game, which would allow us to come out of the group undefeated with three wins, and that's what we want.

"We know we will find a very well-organised [South Korea] team ahead of us. Our objective is to think match after match – to win all the ones in the group phase, we still have one ahead of us.

"We have to do our very best because we want to win all the matches."

Santos hopes Portugal can finish the job to top Group H, having won their opening two World Cup games for only the third time – also achieving the feat in 1966 and 2006 in runs to the semi-final stage.

The Portugal head coach saluted his players, while he also revealed that Nuno Mendes will be assessed in "24 hours" after limping off during the first half.

"All our team have a great performance," Santos said. "The game was difficult, our opponent was difficult.

"In the second half, we managed to play as we are used to; despite the fact that the Uruguayan players were playing very well.

"Our players responded with purpose, and we managed to win with fair play. We have a feeling of satisfaction as we can move to the next stage.

"[Two wins from two is] exactly what I wanted for my team. As I said back in Portugal, our team is very united, we have a very good team building, and now we are given the answers to what was asked of us.

"There is still a match to be played; we need to be careful with our considerations. We do want to be first [in Group H], but we are not first yet. As a result, we need to continue improving on our tactics."

Santos, 68, was in charge of the Selecao for over eight years and guided them to success at Euro 2016 and the inaugural Nations League in 2019.

Despite those trophies, Portugal fans had become frustrated with the style of football Santos' team played in recent years, with there being a perception of him underachieving given the wealth of talent at his disposal.

Santos' Portugal contract was not due to expire until after Euro 2024, but he was removed from his role after the World Cup quarter-final defeat to Morocco last month.

Roberto Martinez has since replaced him.

Santos has not wasted much time in taking a new job either, however, with Poland his third international position in succession after also coaching Greece for four years prior to taking over Portugal.

He will be only Poland's third non-native head coach after Portuguese compatriot Paulo Sousa, who had a brief spell in charge in 2021, and Leo Beenhakker.

Polish Football Association (PZPN) president Cezary Kulesza had essentially confirmed the hiring on Monday when he posted a photo of himself with Santos, the caption announcing a press conference for the following day.

Santos' first goal will be to secure Poland's qualification for a fourth successive appearance at the European Championship, with the 2024 edition to take place in neighbouring Germany.

He will then be tasked with leading Poland to the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, after which his contract is due to end.

The 65-year-old took charge of his national team in 2014 and led the Selecao to glory at Euro 2016 and at the inaugural Nations League Finals in 2019.

His previous contract had been set to expire after Euro 2020, which has been pushed back until next year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Santos will remain in charge of that tournament and his extension includes the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and Euro 2024 too.

"It's a privilege for me and for my coaching staff to continue with this project," Santos said.

"We know we won't be able to win everything, but we will always try."

Santos, who has previously been in charge of Porto, Sporting CP and Greece, holds the record for the Portugal coach with the most wins.

The Selecao have won 44 of their 71 games under Santos.

Holders Portugal face the prospect of their Euro 2020 campaign ending at the group stage, with a positive result against Didier Deschamps' world champions on Wednesday their target to guarantee progress, although a narrow defeat could still see them progress as one of the four best third-placed teams.

The good work from an opening 3-0 win over Hungary was undone in a 4-2 defeat to Germany in Munich, when a usually obdurate Portugal defence was repeatedly undone as Joachim Low's 3-4-3 system granted his team numerical superiority in attack.

Left wing-back Robin Gosens tormented Portugal right-back Nelson Semedo and contributed an assist and a goal after half-time, as the Selecao became the first defending European champions to concede four goals in a single match at the competition.

However, it was the excitement that Atalanta player Gosens showed when Germany won corners that caught veteran centre-back Pepe's eye.

"Against Germany, I have a very clear picture in my mind. Whenever the left full-back got a corner, they were very happy," Pepe said.

"That shows how much they wanted to beat us. We have to want it as much as Germany did in order to make it through and achieve our goals.

"When we win we all win, when we lose we all lose. That's what makes us a very strong, cohesive group.

"We need to have our lines closer together, we need to support each other. Over the last few years we've shown what Portugal is like, we have good quality players and all work together."

Head coach Fernando Santos echoed Pepe's sentiments, acknowledging his side lacked their usual balance between attack and defence last time out.

"We did a thorough analysis of the game and looked at what we could have done better. I think we all reached a similar type of conclusion," Santos said. "It wasn't our usual type of game, it wasn't the Portuguese style.

"The crucial element in the game is to balance the team, it's not about the best or the worst. Every single team on Earth can be aggressive and supportive of one another.

"We know that France will play like this, We need to fight more, want it more and be more organised than they are.

"If we put our quality out there and they do, then it can swing either way. We need to be very focused and very strong in every area of the pitch and every moment of the game."

Santos pledged not to make wholesale changes, while acknowledging the quick turnaround in games and high temperatures in Budapest have had a sapping effect.

In terms of strategy, the veteran tactician stated it was important to right the wrong of his team's Munich missteps.

"As for changes, I could change every single player – I'm joking, of course! It's not about changing everyone," he added.

"We played four at the back and we were fully aware that we were under-manned. Against lower-ranked teams we can attack with more people and our midfielders play differently than the German midfielders.

"France play up front with three very mobile players. Benzema and Griezmann are very mobile players. In the last third we will have four against three, sometimes we will have four against four.

"We're focused. If we play a very intensive game, with the right kind of focus, play out from the back and make the opponent run, then I think we have a very good chance of winning."

Santos revealed the nature of Ronaldo's problem in his media conference ahead of the Croatia clash, confirming the infection was thought to have been caused by a bee sting.

Portugal had no issues in his absence at the Dragao, as Joao Cancel, Diogo Jota, Joao Felix and Andre Silva did the damage against a Croatia side that hardly threatened at all before Bruno Petkovic's consolation late on.

The Nations League's defending champions will hope to build on this win by beating Sweden next week, and they could yet call upon Ronaldo, though Santos insisted that he was not resting the Juventus star.

"I wasn't resting him. If he was in good shape, he would have been [in the starting XI] able to play the game," Santos told RTP.

"Today he trained, feels better and, at the moment, he will travel to Sweden. Then we'll see.

"There is no injury, but he has to recover from that infection."

To say it was Portugal's first match in 10 months, the Selecao were exceptional against the 2018 World Cup runners-up.

They peppered the Croatia goal in the first half and then eased to victory in the second period as they proved more clinical.

Santos was impressed, though he stopped short of lavishing his team with praise – he had seen similar in training, therefore knew such a performance was possible.

"From what they did during the week, they showed me this was possible," he added. "This team knows each other well, the job was to remember what has been done before.

"The team corresponded, 100 per cent. There were some less good periods, but that is part of football."

Les Bleus beat Portugal 1-0 in Lisbon, gaining a small measure of revenge after losing the Euro 2016 final to Santos' side on home soil and advancing to the Nations League Finals at the expense of the holders.

Although Anthony Martial had a series of early chances and finished with five shots, the sole goal in the Group A3 fixture came courtesy of N'Golo Kante.

Cristiano Ronaldo was wasteful at the other end, failing to hit the target with five of his six efforts, but it was out wide where Santos felt France gained the upper hand.

Kingsley Coman started up front in the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappe, but Didier Deschamps stationed the winger mainly from the right, directly up against left-back Raphael Guerreiro.

Guerreiro – a key player in attack for Portugal – created three chances but only one in the first half, with six minutes played.

The versatile Borussia Dortmund man and Coman, who was replaced after 59 minutes, largely nullified each other as neither completed a dribble while making one tackle apiece.

However, Coman's dangerous 10th-minute warning shot, which Rui Patricio saved, posed a problem for Portugal, Santos conceded.

"France were better during the first half," the Portugal coach said. "They did what we wanted to do.

"We wanted not to leave them any spaces, not to let them play. We know that it's a team that is capable of getting players in front of goal.

"We managed to do it for 10 minutes and then we had a lot of difficulties. We retreated and France took advantage.

"Placing Coman always on the right was perhaps one of the first causes of our difficulties. This prevented Guerreiro from having the same influence.

"But if we couldn't get down one side, we should have switched to the other and passed between the lines. We did not succeed, unlike what we had done in Paris [a goalless draw].

"France were better. Getting to the break at 0-0 was not quite fair for them. We made a good start in the second half but we conceded a goal.

"It was only then that the team freed themselves. We got three or four chances. But, in general, France deserve their victory."

N'Golo Kante's 53rd-minute goal proved to be enough for France on Saturday as the world champions claimed top spot in Group A3 and a place in the Finals.

Santos opted for a front three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva and Joao Felix in Lisbon, with Jota introduced shortly after Kante's goal.

The Liverpool forward had eight passes in the opposition half, as many as Silva managed in his 72 minutes, but finished without a shot on goal.

But Santos said the attack was not Portugal's problem against France, defending the decision to start Jota from the bench.

"As I said before, this team played in France and did very well there. And I don't remember someone asking me why Diogo Jota did not start the game," the Portugal coach told a news conference.

"Jota is definitely a top-quality player, everybody knows that. So is Bernardo, and the same goes for Cristiano. And Felix, too. If Jota had played and the team's performance wasn't good, you would ask me why Bernardo or Felix didn't play as Felix is in top form at Atletico Madrid and Bernardo is Bernardo. That's normal.

"I understand your question and I am alright with it. It's normal to listen to these questions after the game.

"But I don't believe this was our problem. We had collective issues and we couldn't stop France playing. And perhaps one or another problem in the midfield, too."

The loss ended Portugal's Nations League defence after they were crowned inaugural champions last year.

While Santos lamented their exit, he was looking ahead to their final group game against Croatia on Tuesday.

"Bad, very bad. It's difficult for me, it's difficult for the players too. It's obviously difficult to take it. And we won't probably sleep tonight. But even without sleeping, tomorrow we need to focus on Tuesday's game," he said.

"We have responsibility to feature in that game and we represent Portugal. The Portuguese fans are used to seeing this team playing well and winning games. Fortunately, we have won many games. I believe tonight was my fourth defeat at the national team since I got here. Therefore, we have to keep our heads high.

"Obviously it will be difficult tomorrow but we must move on and focus on the game against Croatia. We must go there and play well, as this team is used to doing."

A brace at Sweden secured a 2-0 Nations League win and took Ronaldo past a century of strikes for his country.

The goals came just as questions were being asked of Ronaldo's role within the title holders' team, having sat out last week's dominant 4-1 win over Croatia.

Ronaldo said after the match he paid little attention to provocation and had no need to prove himself.

Coach Santos dismissed the notion entirely, meanwhile.

He told a news conference: "What more can I say? A team that has the best in the world cannot be better without the best in the world.

"[Ronaldo] goes on breaking records and records and then, when everyone thinks he is going to finish, there are even more records to beat. He feeds on it."

Portugal needed Ronaldo to step up, with his first – the milestone goal – a wonderful free-kick, after Sweden had given Santos' side an early scare.

Bernardo Silva was injured midway through the opening period, but Gustav Svensson's red card – which prompted Ronaldo's set-piece – gave Portugal the advantage.

"In the first 20 minutes, we had a lot of difficulties," the coach conceded. "We weren't able to get their game right, with the long balls.

"We had a lot of difficulties, because when we had the ball, we lost it very easily.

"We started to improve, we started to have the ball and the game became easier for us, but then we had Bernardo's issue – a forced substitution – and, from then on, I realised that we were going to have more difficulty.

"The red card was fundamental in the game, although I believed we would win anyway. The victory is just."

Ronaldo has been linked with a move away from Juventus this close season, including speculation linking him with MLS, along with a possible return to Real Madrid.

Amid that, Santos moved to clarify that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was committed to playing for Portugal at the World Cup as they chase their maiden Jules Rimet Trophy.

"[Cristiano] has a big dream, that one I know," Santos said.

"He has this big dream of participating in what we are setting out to do, that is the goal of playing in a World Cup and winning it.

"That is the main goal, the rest has to stay away from the national team."

Ronaldo has played at four World Cups, with Portugal's best result during his time being in 2006 when they came fourth in Germany, while they were knocked out in the last 16 in both 2010 and 2018.

Portugal finished third at the 1966 World Cup before failing to qualify again for the tournament for another 20 years.

They won Euro 2016 with Ronaldo scoring three goals in the campaign, although he went off injured early in the final.

Portugal will return to competitive action later this month with World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan, Serbia and Luxembourg.

Brazil booked their place in Qatar on Thursday with a 1-0 victory over Colombia, their 11th win in 12 qualifiers through which they have remained undefeated. 

Despite having accrued six points more than closest rivals Argentina, Tite's side receive regular criticism for a pragmatic approach and lack of flair. 

Portugal have come under fire for similar reasons during their World Cup qualifying campaign, with a 0-0 draw against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday doing little to assuage the frustration. 

A draw against Serbia at the Estadio da Luz on Sunday will be enough for Portugal to secure a place at the World Cup, which Santos believes would then be the only thing his team have in common with Brazil. 

Asked if he felt there were any similarities between Brazil and Portugal, Santos replied: "What I get from that question is that Brazil have qualified and that's what I believe will happen tomorrow with Portugal and we'll be present at the World Cup finals. Other than that, there is no comparison." 

Portugal were held to a 2-2 draw against Serbia in Belgrade back in March and will simply need to avoid defeat to seal top spot in Group A. 

The two teams have met five times since March 2015, with Portugal going unbeaten and claiming three wins.

"The idea cannot be to play for a draw. The two teams will try to win the game. That's what I think," said Santos. 

"I don't think it will be a game of patience. No team will play crazy, not even Serbia who need to win will play like that. 

"But Serbia always play to win. They won't be completely unbalanced. If they get unbalanced, they are taking more risks. 

"The two teams have great ability, but I believe Portugal will win the game."