Portugal manager Roberto Martinez dismissed the idea of resting Cristiano Ronaldo in the World Cup’s group stage finale as “childish” comparisons emerged with other superstar forwards, insisting the 41-year-old is both mentally and physically ready to play full matches.
Ronaldo played the entire 90 minutes as Portugal drew 0-0 with Colombia on Saturday, taking his total group-stage minutes to the full 270 across Group K. The result left Portugal unable to finish top of the section, with Colombia claiming first place and pushing Portugal into second. That set up a last-32 meeting with Croatia in Toronto on Thursday.
Despite the expectation that Portugal’s leading forward would provide a key edge, Ronaldo offered little in terms of threat during the stalemate against Colombia. The wider story, however, was Martinez’s stance on why Ronaldo was not treated like other high-profile attackers.
Martinez rejects “rest” comparisons
As the tournament reached its final group fixtures, Haaland and Messi were both left out by Norway and Argentina respectively. Martinez said he saw no reason to mirror those decisions for Ronaldo simply because other teams had adjusted their lineups.
- Martinez said Portugal do not weigh Ronaldo’s workload against the choices made by players in other squads.
- He added that making such parallels would be “childish,” arguing the focus should remain on Ronaldo’s own readiness and role.
- He described Ronaldo as a player who is accustomed to being in the right areas at the right times, stressing that the main requirement is mental strength, positional discipline, and creating space within Portugal’s attacking structure.
- Martinez suggested that while Ronaldo can handle 90 minutes, further tweaks may still be needed in the next match—something he framed as normal for any player.
- He noted Portugal have already used 21 outfield players, explaining the team is sharing minutes rather than relying on a single constant selection.
- Martinez said the staff track match information, observations from training sessions, and other data sources to decide when changes are appropriate.
- He pointed to the Saturday lineup as an example, saying João Neves and Rúben Neves were each used for 45 minutes, with Diogo Dalot and João Cancelo treated similarly due to the different demands of their positions.
- He also acknowledged that some squad members are not at full fitness, while insisting the information gathered is crucial to help guide those calls.
Portugal’s failure to win the group has also reshaped the outlook for the knockout stages, with Martinez’s comments leaving open the possibility of a round-of-16 clash against Spain, the winners of Euro 2024.
Still, the manager underlined that the group stage goal was straightforward: secure qualification first, then prepare properly for the competition that follows. He said Portugal now need to fine-tune their approach, raise their level, and guide games toward the style they want, including more possession and better control.
Martinez added that the three group matches were part of the process of reaching their best form, and insisted the tournament becomes different once the knockout stage begins, with Portugal aiming to remain in the event for eight matches in total.
