An essential part of the Portuguese soccer team in FIFA World Cups since 2006, the 2026 World Cup is set to mark Ronaldo's place in the squad for two decades. From his first World Cup appearance in 2006 in Germany to now, questions have been raised over his selection in the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Portugal's head coach, Roberto Martínez, opened up about Ronaldo's commitment and place in the squad. At 40-years-old, the Al-Nassr forward is still arguably one of the best in the world. However, when asked about his thoughts on Ronaldo's selection for the FIFA World Cup squad, Martínez shared a detailed analysis. (quotes translated from Spanish).
“It's part of my job. I've been in this position for three years now. The most important thing is that the team wins, that the team is stronger than the opponent. That's my responsibility and also the coaching staff's. Making difficult decisions is part of our job. I don't think I just arrived at the Portuguese national team today,” he said.
“I think it's a very valid question for someone who just arrived at the national team, but we have the experience of the last three years and what's important to me is the players' attitude and creating a high-performance, but very competitive environment. And that's what we have. For the captain and the other players, that's what we've done in the last three years.
Portugal coach Roberto Martínez comments on Cristiano Ronaldo's greatest quality and flaws
In the same interview with ESPN, Martínez opened up about the Portugal captain's greatest quality and flaw (quotes translated from Spanish). Past the age of his prime, Ronaldo has scored a total of 143 international goals while playing nearly 220 international games.
“I think we need to accept that everyone in the world knows Cristiano Ronaldo and has an opinion [about him]. But the Cristiano Ronaldo who joined the national team 21 years ago is not the same Cristiano he is now. Now, he's much more of a positional player, a striker,” Martínez said. “He's a player who, for us, is a finisher. He's the all-time leading scorer.”
Calling him an inspiration to the locker room, Martínez heaped praise on his role in the team. However, when asked about Ronaldo's flaw, he claimed, “A flaw? I think a player's flaw, in general, is when there's a lack of commitment, when there's a lack of attitude. So, a player without commitment, without attitude, isn't called up to the national team.”
