Calling the 2025/26 Premier League season a "brutal" one for Tottenham Hotspur would be an understatement. Spurs have been an embarrassment to the crest, falling to a level that we have honestly never seen from a club of this size and financial power, and if Spurs were to survive relegation on the final day, then it would be down to luck and West Ham United's futility rather than anything they have truly done positively.
These last few weeks, new manager Roberto De Zerbi has at least been able to get Tottenham within shouting distance of safety, and he has done all he can to revive the club, getting rebound performances out of several key veteran players. One of them? Defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha, signed last summer on loan from Bayern Munich, and the Portuguese international is back on good form again with De Zerbi touting him as a player he wants to keep - permanently.
But even Palhinha, though he has been important to Tottenham Hotspur this season, isn't quite good enough in the grand scheme of things. To wit, the Portuguese national team announced its squad for the 2026 World Cup, and Joao Palhinha is officially not on it.
Portugal know the truth about Palhinha
No Tottenham supporter, not even manager Roberto De Zerbi who appears to be one of his biggest fans, can be surprised by this at all. Not only do Portugal have one of the most stacked midfielders in world football with PSG Champions League finalist duo Joao Neves and Vitinha among the stars, but Palhinha hasn't been remotely good enough to be on the squad of one of the best national teamsin the world right now.
Palhinha is a great athlete, especially for his age, and a strong defender who can win the ball, but his passing, positional value, and overall quality on the ball are pretty lacking for a player starting for a club the size of Tottenham. And like many of his teammates, Palhinha's importance to Spurs, especially in the stretch of the Premier League relegation battle, is really an indictment on how low the overall quality of this squad is.
The jury is still out on whether or not Palhinha will stay at Tottenham this summer, and most fans would probably rather look elsewhere then pay Bayern potentially 25 million pounds for a mediocre defensive midfielder who is a rotational player at best. And this snub from Portugal is the latest example that others in world football don't view Palhinha as a top player who should have ever had a Bayern Munich pedigree.