Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has defended his decision to keep Cristiano Ronaldo on the field for every minute of the FIFA World Cup, saying the veteran forward remains fully fit.
Portugal drew 0-0 with Colombia on Saturday to finish second in Group K. Ronaldo completed another full match, while several other top stars were rested in the final group games. Lionel Messi started on the bench for Argentina, and Norway left Erling Haaland out of the team.
Ronaldo, 41, has faced criticism during the tournament. Some have questioned his limited defensive work when Portugal lose the ball. Martinez said every player is judged differently based on their role.
“Obviously we don’t compare players in our team with other players to make decisions. I think that would be quite childish and very unprofessional,” Martinez told reporters.
“I can tell you that we monitor all the (player) information that we get live during the games.
“There are different positions on the pitch that need different needs and we monitor that down to the detail.
“Cristiano is used to being in the right place at the right time. It’s more a question of mentally being strong and always being disciplined in his position.
“There is no issue, physically or mentally, for Cristiano in today’s game to play the 90 minutes. Maybe the next game we need to make a change, but that’s like any other player.”
Portugal will meet Croatia in the round of 32 on Thursday. The match comes one day before the anniversary of the death of Portugal forward Diogo Jota.
Martinez said the team still feels Jota’s absence every day and hopes to honour him with a strong World Cup run.
“Obviously, every day is difficult. When you are training, there are always moments that Diogo Jota comes back into our memories. So I wouldn’t say that the anniversary needs to be especially difficult. I would say that it’s a little bit of a celebration,” Martinez said.
“We need to honour Diogo Jota. It’s a moment to cherish, that everything we started in this team started with him. We won the Nations League with him. He’s probably the sign and the light of the biggest stimulation that we have.
“We want to win the World Cup for him. The anniversary is just a moment that makes the game Diogo Jota’s game.
“It’s not a difficult moment, the difficulty is every day when he’s not there physically … Probably moments like this, when you don’t win a game, the reference of having his desire, his belief, is always very clear in our presence.”
