Portugal boss Roberto Martinez outlines Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup role

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez insists Cristiano Ronaldo will be judged entirely on merit as the 41-year-old targets an unprecedented sixth World Cup appearance.

The legendary forward is aiming to secure a place in the squad for the 2026 tournament to continue his record-breaking international career.

However, his national team boss has made it clear that past achievements will not guarantee a spot on the plane.

Managing the player, not the icon

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

The Portugal coach stated that the veteran captain is evaluated on the exact same rigorous standards as the rest of the squad.

Selection decisions will be driven purely by current form and training performances rather than historical prestige.

“Age is only a number,” Martinez added.

“Certainly in the national team we can measure exactly what’s happening on the day, and you make the decisions for the next day.”

Embracing a modern tactical approach

Debate in Portugal has shifted towards how best to utilise the international record goalscorer in closely contested tournament matches.

Martinez believes the introduction of five substitutions has fundamentally changed how managers view their matchday squads.

“It’s almost like we’ve got a starting team and a finishing team,” he explained.

The Spanish tactician noted that there is no longer a strict distinction between those who start and finish, claiming his star forward has always accepted his given role.

Form and merit dictate selection

Questions regarding the attacker’s willingness to accept reduced minutes have lingered since he was controversially benched against Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup.

Martinez refused to compare different tournaments, stressing that footballing context is in a constant state of evolution.

“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,” he affirmed.

The forward has backed up his manager’s pragmatic approach with an outstanding return of 25 goals in 30 appearances under the current regime.

That prolific strike rate represents a superior goals-per-game ratio than he achieved under any previous national team coach.