First match is our final: Nani

Just how special is it to play in World Cup?
It’s very thrilling. I am sure it is going to be a fantastic experience. It’s the first time I will be part of a World Cup squad. I just want to make the most of this opportunity.

Have you matured as a player at Manchester United?
Personally I am satisfied with my season. I arrive (in World Cup) a more mature player and more experienced. This could be important for my work with Portugal.

This is an era when the clubs are as important for players’ as the country. So how important is the World Cup, comparing it to a Champions League, for instance?
Of course the World Cup is important. I have not come across a player who doesn’t want to play in the World Cup. The day you take the field for the first time, your aim is to win the World Cup for your country. We work hard to be there and we want to do something special for our countrymen. Every player, especially of my age, wants to be up there with the best of the world and prove a point or two.

With Brazil, Ivory Coast and North Korea, yours is termed as the group of death...
Yes. It is true. We do have a difficult group but we are confident of doing well. Our outlook as individuals and as a team is quite positive. We have had a successful qualifying campaign. Playing strong opponents early on will prepare us well for the tough matches in the later stages of the tournament. To show that we are the best, we have to beat the best.

Brazil are perennial favourites while North Korea are underdogs. Do you feel Ivory Coast will be the key match?
I feel that will be our first big final in the World Cup. Ivory Coast is our first match and the outcome may well decide our fate in the tournament.

How encouraging is it that yourself, Ronaldo, among others, are peaking at the right time?
It is good for the team. We all are working hard. Cristiano has done well for Real. I am working hard, too, on my fitness. But we cannot take anything for granted. Portugal is not just about Cristiano or me...And we have demonstrated this. Having good performances for the clubs is a morale booster but World Cup will be a different story.

Do you discuss World Cup with your teammates at United?
Oh yeah. Sometimes after training, or before it, the topic comes up. That is something inevitable. There a lot of leg-pulling over the performance of few players, the rivalries...It’s fun, though.