Roberto Martinez emphasizes Cristiano Ronaldo’s continued importance to Portugal despite his injury-related absence.
Roberto Martinez, the coach of Portugal, states that Cristiano Ronaldo remains an essential figure for the national team at the age of 41.
Ronaldo, who is anticipated to lead Portugal in what would mark his sixth World Cup, is currently sidelined due to a hamstring issue.
“Cristiano is our captain, a role model, and a player with genuine ambition,” Martinez remarked.
“He is not merely a 41-year-old athlete; he is someone who strives to enhance his performance daily. He is demonstrating exemplary leadership and serves as a source of inspiration for younger players, guiding them and embodying our principles.
“On the field, he has netted 25 goals in the last 30 matches. We evaluate the players on a daily basis, session by session, and the standards within the national team are exceptionally high for everyone.”
Portugal played without Ronaldo during the World Cup warm-up matches against Mexico and the United States. Concerns regarding the captain’s fitness arose after he experienced the muscular injury while competing for Al Nassr, the leaders of the Saudi Pro League, on February 28.
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According to Martinez, Ronaldo is training individually at Al Nassr and may return to play next week.
“He has a minor injury and is likely to resume playing and training next week,” he stated. “It’s nothing serious. Cristiano is our captain; he plays a crucial role. He was our captain in the Nations League and significantly contributes to the team’s offensive play, particularly in the box.”
Ronaldo holds the record as the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s international football, with 143 goals in 226 appearances for Portugal since his debut in 2003.
He has not disclosed any plans regarding his retirement from football.
When asked about Ronaldo’s future, Martinez commented, “The conclusion of his career? We cannot say. It’s difficult to predict. I have quickly learned not to attempt to foresee the future with Cristiano. He concentrates on being the best he can be at present. He does not make future plans.”
