Portugal coach Martinez: Ronaldo Picked On Form, Not Age, Before World Cup

Martinez praises Ronaldo’s hunger ahead of 2026 World Cup

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez says Cristiano Ronaldo will be judged on current form and merit, not age, as he eyes a sixth World Cup.

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Martinez insisted Portugal won’t carry Ronaldo as a ‘monument to past glory’ but will pick him on what he delivers now...

Cristiano Ronaldo may be 41, but Portugal boss Roberto Martinez says age doesn’t come into it. He insists his captain is selected based on how he’s playing right now, held to the same standard as the rest of the squad.

Ronaldo has a shot at a sixth World Cup when this year’s tournament kicks off in North America in under a month. Even for a player who’s rewritten football’s record books, that’s a remarkable milestone.

Still, Martinez told Reuters in Lisbon on Thursday that Portugal aren’t holding onto the past.

“We manage the Cristiano Ronaldo that plays for the national team trying to get into the squad for 2026, not the iconic figure,” Martinez said.

In Portugal, the discussion isn’t really about whether Ronaldo deserves a place. With 143 goals, he’s already the all-time leading scorer in international football. The real question is what his role should look like when World Cup games come down to fine margins.

For Martinez, it comes down to one thing: Ronaldo is judged as a player, based on his work in training and what he brings to the team.

"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.”

Ronaldo’s Role in the Squad

When it comes to using Ronaldo at a World Cup where matches are often decided by substitutions, tactical changes, and games that go to extra time and penalties, Martinez said the idea of the starting XI being the only sign of importance is outdated.

“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.”

Doubts about whether Ronaldo would be okay with a smaller role have followed him since the 2022 World Cup. Back then, Fernando Santos left him on the bench against Switzerland after dropping him for the final group game against South Korea.

Martinez wouldn’t compare the two tournaments, noting that form, tactics, and circumstances are different each time. What he did make clear is that Ronaldo’s spot in the team, like anyone else’s, comes down to merit.

“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.

Martinez made clear that Ronaldo isn’t just there for show. Under his charge, Ronaldo has scored 25 goals in 30 games for Portugal — his best goals-per-game rate with any national team coach. And according to Martinez, his impact goes beyond the stats, showing up in the smaller details that don’t always appear on the scoresheet.

“He is fantastic at those movements, those runs, opening spaces, splitting centre halves,” Martinez said.

“He's been disciplined to be in the right positions, always executing the attacking patterns that we have. And that gives him opportunities to score as he's done, but the opportunity of opening space for our players.”

SPL top scorers this season:

27 goals — 🇬🇧 Ivan Toney
26 goals — 🇲🇽 Julián Quiñones
23 goals — 🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo
20 goals — 🇨🇴 Roger Martínez
15 goals — 🇮🇹 Mateo Retegui
15 goals — 🇦🇷 Ramiro Enrique
15 goals — 🇧🇪 Yannick Carrasco
15 goals — 🇵🇹 João Félix pic.twitter.com/rkFb6k92ze

— Goals Side (@goalsside) April 8, 2026

Beyond the Numbers

Martinez said the conversation around Ronaldo shouldn’t start with age. For him, it comes down to data, training performance, attitude, and how well he fits tactically.

He credited Ronaldo’s longevity to more than just physical ability, pointing to “that elite brain” and the constant drive to get better.

What stood out most to Martinez after taking over wasn’t Ronaldo’s status, but his hunger.

“Somebody that has won everything has the hunger of somebody that hasn't won a trophy yet,” Martinez said.

That hunger, he added, had made Ronaldo “a very important figure in the dressing room, as a captain, as somebody that represents what it means to play for the national team.”

Martinez knows the chatter around Ronaldo isn’t going anywhere. He joked that “every taxi driver” has a take on him, even if they haven’t actually watched him play lately.

For him, the job is straightforward: look at the evidence and pick the best team.

“The players are ‌always on the pitch on merit,” Martinez said. “And when the environment shows you otherwise, it's a natural selection.”