Jakarta, hitclubapk3 Indonesia
—
The coach of the Portuguese national team Roberto Martinez stated that
Cristiano Ronaldo
remains an important player for his team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here are three reasons why Martinez will still rely on Ronaldo at the 2026 World Cup.
Even though Ronaldo will be 41 years old when the 2026 World Cup rolls around next June, Martinez believes that his team captain still meets the criteria for player selection.
In his explanation, Martinez revealed that there are three main pillars that are always analyzed to determine a player’s suitability for playing for the Portuguese national team, namely talent, experience and attitude.
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Martinez emphasized that Ronaldo fulfills these three aspects very well, especially in terms of the mentality he brings to the team.
“Attitude. There are three pillars that we continue to analyze: talent, experience and attitude that he can bring to the Portuguese national team,” Martinez told Marca reported
NDTV
.
He added that the maximum demands that Ronaldo placed on himself to always be present and help the team were what allowed the captain to always be on the list of players.
According to Martinez, Ronaldo’s desire to be the best has a very positive effect because his nature is contagious to other players.
“The maximum demands he places on himself to always be present and help is what allows the national team captain to always be on the roster. The desire to be the best is contagious. 25 goals in 30 matches as a striker shows that what he does on the pitch contributes greatly to the national team,” said Martinez.
Ronaldo’s certainty to appear in the opening match of the World Cup was also in the spotlight.Although the star missed the final match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers due to a red card suspension in the defeat to Ireland, FIFA opted to suspend the final two matches of his three-match ban.
This ensures that Ronaldo can strengthen Portugal in their opening Group K match in Houston on June 17 next year.
Regarding the overall player selection strategy, Martinez, who has been in office since January 2023, emphasized the importance of consistency and continuity.
For him, it doesn’t make sense to replace all the players in each squad because that would eliminate the team’s core concept, especially considering the very short preparation time at national level.
Therefore, Martinez chose to keep experienced players such as Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Neves, Ruben Dias and Ronaldo.
“At national team level, you have three days to prepare for a match. It doesn’t make sense to replace all 23 players in each squad because you would lose the core concept. We have retained the commitment of very experienced players who are happy to be part of the national team: Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Neves, Ruben Dias, Ronaldo,” said Martinez.
At the same time, he continues to pave the way for new talents such as Vitinha, Joao Neves, Chico Conceicao, and Renato Veiga.
“In addition, we have been able to pave the way for new talents who have come to win games: Vitinha, Joao Neves, Chico Conceicao, Pedro Neto, Renato Veiga. Youth football in Portugal is extraordinary and an example for other countries. I always want to emphasize this. With 11 million inhabitants, this country is capable of producing 3-4 top players every year,” said Martinez.
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