Severe Fatigue Impedes PSG Star in Portugal Midfield Battle
Following a sensational 2025-2026 season where he anchored Luis Enrique's tactical setup, Vitinha helped guide Paris Saint-Germain to an impressive consecutive Champions League title. The 26-year-old playmaker was subsequently selected by Roberto Martinez for the World Cup, but his performances in the tournament have fallen short of expectations.
Portugal advanced to the knockout stages after finishing second in Group K, later overcoming Croatia in the round of 16. Ahead of a high-stakes quarter-final clash against reigning European champions Spain, football pundits are jumping to the defense of the exhausted midfielder as tactical comparisons with Spain's Pedri begin to emerge.
Read Also
Speaking on RMC Sport's After Foot, analyst Walid Acherchour vigorously defended the player's recent drop in form. "Pedri is having a much better tournament, but Vitinha is completely burnt out. I will not criticize him because he is one of the players who featured the most for PSG this season," Acherchour explained.
The relentless physical demands of leading Paris Saint-Germain's high press domestically and in Europe appear to have depleted the midfielder's energy reserves. Whether Vitinha can rediscover his rhythm and overcome this fatigue will be decisive for Portugal's hopes of progressing past Spain in their heavyweight World Cup encounter.