Portugal centre-back Renato Veiga has said that his national team are contenders to win the World Cup -- but not favourites.
Veiga, who was part of Portugal's team that beat Spain on penalties to lift the UEFA Nations League title a year ago, feels good about his team yet isn't getting carried away with the hype surrounding his side's potential.
"There's no denying Portugal's quality," the Villarreal centre-back said on Monday. "We are contenders, not favourites. For now, we are just contenders."
The closest Portugal have come to winning the World Cup was in 1966, when they finished third.
Captained by five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has plenty of talent at his disposal.
Bruno Fernandes is coming off a terrific season with Manchester United. He broke the all-time Premier League record for the most assists (21) in a single campaign and received the award as best player of the Premier League season.
Portugal also have four players -- Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Vitinha and Gonçalo Ramos -- that helped Paris Saint-Germain retain the Ligue 1 title and the Champions League crown.
"I think our locker room is our greatest asset," Veiga said. "The atmosphere is very good, with great people, and it helps us express our best on the field. Whoever plays will certainly give his best. Of course, there's always competition within the group, but the real competition is out there, with our opponents."
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Portugal will start their campaign against Congo on June 17 in Group K, before taking on Uzbekistan on June 23 and Colombia on June 28.
