Ronaldo Judged On Form, Not Age, Insists Portugal Coach Roberto Martínez

LISBON: Portugal coach Roberto Martínez has said that Cristiano Ronaldo is being judged on current form and fitness, not age, as the team considers his role at the upcoming World Cup.

Ronaldo, 41, could feature in a sixth World Cup, with this year’s tournament in North America scheduled from June 11 to July 18.

"Age is only a number," Martinez said. "Certainly in the national team we can measure exactly what's happening on the day, and you make the decisions for the next day. You never look any longer than the next day.

"We manage the Cristiano Ronaldo that plays for the national team trying to get into the squad for 2026, not the iconic figure." Ronaldo is the record scorer in international football with 143 goals.

The debate in Portugal is more about his role in the team and less about whether he deserves a place in the World Cup squad.

On the question of how to use Ronaldo at a World Cup where the role of substitutions, tactical shifts have become more important and games also stretch into extra time and penalties, Martinez argued modern football has moved past treating the starting lineup as the only measure of status.

"Now we've got five substitutions. It's almost like we've got a starting team and a finishing team. There is no distinction," he said. "There are different roles and Cristiano has always accepted his role."

However, the question of whether Cristiano Ronaldo would accept the limited role has lingered since the 2022 World Cup, when he was benched by then-coach Fernando Santos against Switzerland.

Martinez said form, style and context change, but a more important thing is to execute your role. "All the players are in the same space in the national team where when they play well, when they execute their role well to help the team to win, they have a better chance to play than when they don't do it. It's as simple as that," he said.

Portugal are placed in Group K of the FIFA World Cup with Congo DR, Uzbekistan, and Colombia. Martinez’s side will play their first match of the tournament on June 17.