By Leo Ezeh
Roberto Martinez has
defended his decision to keep Cristiano Ronaldo on the field for the entire
match during Portugal’s opening 2026 World Cup fixture against DR Congo,
despite growing criticism of the veteran forward’s performance.
Portugal were held to a
1-1 draw in Houston on Wednesday, a result that left many supporters
disappointed. Ronaldo, who led the attack throughout the game, struggled to
make a decisive impact as his side searched for a winning goal.
Following the match,
debate quickly erupted among fans and football analysts, with some claiming the
41-year-old is no longer contributing enough and may be slowing the team down.
Martinez, however,
strongly disagreed with that view.
The
Portugal manager insisted there was no reason to replace Ronaldo at a crucial
stage of the game, especially when his team desperately needed a goal. He
pointed to the striker’s remarkable scoring record and vast experience as key
reasons for leaving him on the pitch until the final whistle.
According
to Martinez, removing a player widely regarded as one of the greatest
goalscorers in football history would have made little sense while Portugal
were still pushing for a breakthrough.
“It
made no sense at all to take off Cristiano Ronaldo when we were looking for
goals,” the coach said, describing the Al Nassr star as the best goalscorer the
game has ever seen.
Despite
the criticism surrounding his display, Ronaldo will now turn his attention to
Portugal’s next group-stage encounter against Uzbekistan.
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus
forward will be eager to silence his critics and deliver the kind of
performance that has defined his legendary career as Portugal look to secure
their first win of the tournament.
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