Portugal coach Roberto Martinez spoke to Reuters on May 14 in Lisbon and confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41 years old, will be judged on his present performance rather than his age or past achievements ahead of the 2026 World Cup [1, 2, 3, 4]. The tournament is set to begin in North America in November, where Ronaldo could appear in his sixth FIFA World Cup [1, 2, 3, 4].
Martinez stressed the national team selection focuses on players’ current form. “Age is only a number. Certainly in the national team we can measure exactly what's happening on the day, and you make the decisions for the next day. You never look any longer than the next day,” he said [1]. The coach added, "We manage the Cristiano Ronaldo that plays for the national team trying to get into the squad for 2026, not the iconic figure" [2].
Ronaldo holds the international scoring record with 143 goals for Portugal [1, 2, 3, 4]. Under Martinez, Ronaldo has scored 25 goals in 30 appearances, a goals-per-game rate better than his previous tenure [1, 2]. Martinez highlighted the evolution in football rules, noting that five substitutions per match blur the line between starters and substitutes. “Now we've got five substitutions. It's almost like we've got a starting team and a finishing team. There is no distinction. There are different roles and Cristiano has always accepted his role,” he said [3].
Since the 2022 World Cup, debate has lingered on whether Ronaldo would accept a reduced role after being benched by then-coach Fernando Santos following the final group match against South Korea [1, 2, 3, 4]. Martinez declined to compare the 2026 situation directly to 2022, citing changes in Ronaldo’s form and team dynamics [1, 2, 3, 4].
Martinez said selection is straightforward: "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. It's as simple as that" [4].
Portugal’s squad choices will continue to be evaluated on a daily basis in preparation for the World Cup kickoff expected in November 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4].
