Portugal national team manager Roberto Martinez has described comparing Cristiano Ronaldo’s physical needs to those of Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland as “childish,” insisting that his star forward is “mentally and physically” prepared to play every single minute of Portugal’s 2026 World Cup campaign.
Ronaldo Plays 270 Minutes in Group Stage Despite Messi and Haaland Rest
The 41-year-old icon completed the full 90 minutes during Portugal’s 0-0 stalemate against Colombia. This appearance ensured that Ronaldo featured in all 270 minutes of his country’s three group-stage fixtures at the 2026 World Cup.
While Argentina and Norway chose to rest their respective star forwards, Messi and Haaland, during the final group-stage matchday, Martinez firmly stated he saw no reason to follow suit with Ronaldo just because other teams rotated their starting lineups.
“We don’t compare our players with other teams’ players; that would be childish,” the Spanish manager stated after the Colombia match. “Cristiano is used to being in the right place at the right time.”
He added: “It is more a question of mental strength, continuous tactical discipline on the pitch, and consistently opening up spaces in our attacking patterns.”
Squad Rotation and Portugal’s Upcoming Clash Against Croatia
Martinez concluded by discussing his squad management: “Playing 90 minutes is not an issue for Cristiano. However, maybe we will need to make a change in the next game, and that applies to him just like any other player in the squad. We have used 21 outfield players so far, so we are definitely sharing the minutes.”
The Road to the Final: Portugal will face Croatia in the World Cup Round of 32. Should they overcome the Slavic nation, a daunting Round of 16 blockbuster likely awaits them against Euro 2024 winners Spain.
