Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has mounted a strong defence of Cristiano Ronaldo’s continued place in the national team, insisting the forty-year-old forward remains one of the country’s most reliable and motivated performers as preparations intensify for the twenty twenty six World Cup.
Speaking during an appearance on Sky Sports Monday Night Football, the Portuguese coach dismissed concerns about Ronaldo’s age and emphasised that the Al Nassr striker’s recent scoring record, professionalism and influence still make him indispensable. Ronaldo is expected to feature in his sixth World Cup, extending a career that has already set global benchmarks.
Martinez pointed out that public debate around Ronaldo swings depending on results, noting that the same critics who question Portugal’s reliance on him also question why he is still selected when he doesn’t find the net. He stressed that decisions within the squad are simpler, anchored on performance and attitude.
The coach of Portugal says Ronaldo has twenty-five goals in his last thirty international games and is still a standard for younger players. Ronaldo is viewed within Portugal’s camp as more than just a striker but also as a leader whose attitude elevates the whole dressing area. Martinez said that Ronaldo’s astounding two hundred and twenty-seven international caps mirrored both his devotion and his longevity.
Martinez has been astounded by Ronaldo’s transition from a wide forward to a box specialist; the veteran still exhibits great hunger. Most players lose drive after reaching success, he claimed; Ronaldo’s will to compete and get better has not faltered. The forward’s intensity comes from within, propelled by personal objectives rather than outside expectations, the coach added.
Another distinguishing feature of Ronaldo’s long life has been his fitness. He has never missed a significant international event in more than twenty years of professional football through injury and has rarely experienced protracted absences. As he goes for a first big club honor since leaving Juventus in twenty twenty-one, it will be crucial to maintain that degree of fitness.
Martinez concluded that Ronaldo no longer has anything to prove but continues playing to fulfil his own standards and to inspire the people closest to him, reinforcing his place in Portugal’s World Cup plans.
