Portugal’s World Cup to date has been dominated by the debate over whether Cristiano Ronaldo is a help or a hindrance.The 41-year-old’s two goals against Uzbekistan showed his value to the national team, yet his performances in draws against DR Congo and Colombia have led to suggestions that he is holding back Roberto Martinez and his exciting young squad.For Nani, the former Portugal international who first met Ronaldo as a teenager and played alongside him at Manchester United and with the national team, the answer is simple. In fact, it rolls off his tongue without requiring a second thought.Of course Ronaldo has to be starting at the World Cup, he believes. And, of course, his team-mates should be doing the running for him.“Everyone should be trying their best to connect with Cristiano at this World Cup,” Nani, speaking at the Portugal Football Summit in Miami, tells The Athletic. “He’s a player who will score goals until the end of this tournament. Trust me.“Most want him to play, but some people want him out because they think the team loses energy and the possibility to press with more energy. But we cannot forget he’s a man who can decide the game and he attracts all the attention from defenders.“Obviously, he needs to adjust his game to the system the coach creates and everyone understands his movements because it doesn’t matter, for example, if I run there and I take two players if nobody makes the run in the empty space.“The only thing is players need to run for him.”Cristiano Ronaldo, with Nani immediately behind him, celebrates Portugal’s victory at Euro 2016 (Valery Hache/AFP via Getty Images)Ronaldo is yet to miss a minute of action at the World Cup and the notion of dropping one of the all-time greats is unthinkable, and — irrespective of the fact he intends to leave his role at the end of the tournament — unlikely to be a battle Martinez wants to take on.But, other than when Portugal are in the attacking third, they are playing with nine outfield players.Ronaldo does not track back, nor is he going to start doing that at this stage of his career. So, the onus is on those around him to do the running instead. And this is something of which Nani has first-hand experience at a major tournament having been asked to do it ahead of their Euro 2016 triumph by Fernando Santos, then Portugal’s head coach.“We need to understand that Brazil will do it (run) for Neymar,” he adds. “France will do for (Kylian) Mbappe, Argentina will do it for (Lionel) Messi. There is no discussion in these teams because and don’t have people so famous like Ronaldo.“Messi is always walking because he saves energy when the ball comes to him. He’s explosive and at his best in the the final third. Ronaldo is the same in that it’s almost like: ‘Don’t waste your energy sprinting 60 yards.’“(But) Cristiano cannot walk on the pitch. He doesn’t walk too much. If the defender has the ball close to him, then he doesn’t let that defender go. He runs.”Nani recalls a conversation at Euro 2016 with Santos, who told him he could be the highest goalscorer at the competition, even if it means having to cover more distance to fill in for Ronaldo.Throughout the tournament, Nani says he covered “84 kilometres”, which was “14 kilometres” more than the player in second.“I sacrificed myself for the team,” Nani says. “I was one of the top scorers for the team. I scored three goals, as did Cristiano, and I continued to perform. OK, you lose energy, you don’t play the beautiful game, but we won.”Nani, who came out of retirement in January to sign for FC Aktobe in Kazakhstan, was also dismissive of the idea that Ronaldo is anything but a popular member of the Portuguese squad. He suggests that Ronaldo, at least when they shared a dressing room, was one of the funniest members of the team.Despite this, though, Nani said it can go either way. If the team wins, then Ronaldo is the first one to be celebrating, but if they lose, then it is “the end of the world”.“He likes to joke a lot,” the former Manchester United player adds. “Sometimes people don’t understand the jokes and it can intimidate you at the beginning if you are young, but after that, you will understand he just wants to make you feel comfortable and part of the team.”Nani suggests Cristiano Ronaldo was always one of the funniest members of the Portugal squad (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)Coming into the World Cup, Portugal were considered one of the favourites to win. They have a squad littered with talent, from Nuno Mendes — a back-to-back Champions League winner — at left-back and his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Vitinha in midfield. Then there is Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, last season’s Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. He also won The Athletic’s award.Despite being an attacker himself, Nani does not opt for one of Portugal’s forward players when reeling off who he enjoys watching from what is a relatively young squad. Nor does he even select a midfielder.He instead chooses Mendes, the 24-year-old who is already considered one of the best defenders in world football.“It’s unbelievable the way he plays,” Nani says. “The energy, the calmness, the power, he’s such a talented player. Sometimes he looks like he is tired and is unable to give anything else, but then he suddenly appears with a magic moment with a lot of power and energy, and then he can shoot or cross.“But it’s not just him. We have beautiful players who play a beautiful game. I love Vitinha and the way he controls the game.”Nani also highlights Fernandes, although notes he is yet to display “what he’s been showing in Manchester”, adding “that is why people are a little bit frustrated with him”.Nuno Mendes has been one of Nani’s stars of Portugal’s tournament to date (Michael Steele/Getty Images)Is the issue with Fernandes down to Martinez’s system not extracting the best out of him due to Ronaldo’s importance?“It’s not about Cristiano,” Nani quickly responds. “There is your club, then there is the national team. For many years, for example, I was performing in the national team because I was free, and when I was in Manchester, my game was not always fluid.“But luckily (Fernandes) has the opportunity to play every game, so I am 100 per cent sure he will show his best. The way he plays in Manchester means he has so much time, the ball is at his feet, and he controls the game.“He doesn’t have that space now, probably because the players behind him are taking this space. Vitinha takes the ball, he demands and controls the game, and (Joao) Neves and Vitinha have a great partnership in midfield.“Bruno’s more for the last touches and in Manchester, every ball must pass by Bruno. He’s in the middle of it, so what Vitinha is currently doing is what Bruno does in Manchester. So it’s difficult for him to perform his game.”Nani’s solution to get the best out of Fernandes? Play him closer to Ronaldo.