June 18, 2026
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez dismissed questions about Cristiano Ronaldo's role after a frustrating World Cup opener, defending his decision to keep the captain on for the full 90 minutes in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ronaldo went without a shot on target in Houston, extending his scoreless streak to five straight World Cup matches and 10 consecutive games at major tournaments. The 41-year-old forward hasn't scored a non-penalty goal at a World Cup or European Championship since June 2021, but Martinez said removing him was never a serious consideration while Portugal chased a winner.
"It makes no sense to get the best goal scorer in world football out in a game that you need goals," Martinez said.
Ronaldo, Portugal's all-time leading scorer with 143 international goals, became only the second player to appear in six World Cups, following Lionel Messi. But unlike Messi, who scored a hat trick Tuesday, Ronaldo's bid to become the first player to score in six different World Cups will have to wait.
