Portugal at the World Cup: the debate over Cristiano Ronaldo's role, between doubts and defences

Coach Roberto Martínez strongly defended the choice to rely on the number 7, going so far as to describe him in several interviews as «the greatest player in history». «Wir reden hier vom größten Spieler der Geschichte», the coach said, brushing off the criticism. Martínez then added: «Jeder ist sich seiner Verantwortung bewusst und hat sich hohen Standards verschrieben», and assured that the group is going through a balanced moment: «Wir haben in der Kabine eine exzellente emotionale Balance».

Martínez's defence

Under Martínez, in charge since 9 January 2023 and with a contract running until 31 July 2026, Ronaldo had racked up 25 goals in 31 appearances before the World Cup campaign. The coach has repeatedly explained his confidence in the player with the same statistic, recalling how «Er ist hier, weil er immer noch auf dem höchsten Level abliefert und nicht, weil er in der Vergangenheit viel erreicht hat», stressing that his selection is based on current form and not on past merits.

Luís Figo, an icon of Portuguese football, also spoke up in support of Ronaldo, dismissing the criticism with a curt «Nichts» when asked whether Ronaldo could represent a problem. «Vielleicht denken sie, dass er sie bremst», Figo said, referring to the detractors, before adding, as reported: «Ich habe nichts gegen ihn, aber man sollte die Dinge beim Namen nennen». According to Figo, his former national team-mate is the only reason Portugal can aspire to winning the title at this World Cup.

The critical voices and the precedents

On the other side of the barricade stand the critical voices, who point to two matches played without Ronaldo – in September 2023 and November 2025 – as proof of what this squad can do without its superstar. On those occasions Portugal achieved the largest results in its history: a 9-0 and a 9-1. «Es ist offensichtlich, dass einige Spieler Cristiano Ronaldo nicht im Team haben wollen», commented sources close to the team, quoted by the press.

Adding fuel to the controversy has also come the memory of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when then-coach Fernando Santos decided to leave Ronaldo on the bench for much of the round of 16 match against Switzerland. On that occasion, after the star's muted display, Portugal had responded with a convincing performance, hinting at the dimensions of the team of the future. Santos himself, now 82, had commented in the past: «Er spielt nicht, um zu gewinnen. Er spielt, um der Hauptdarsteller zu sein».

A generation of talent

Ronaldo, born on 5 February 1985 and currently tied to Al-Nassr until 30 June 2027, has surpassed along his national team journey the record of Eusébio, who in 1966 had led Portugal to third place at the World Cup. A milestone that, according to his supporters, certifies the greatness of his legacy. But the question dividing the country is another: at 41, in a group that includes players such as Bruno Fernandes (31), Manchester United's captain, Vitinha (26) and João Neves (21), both two-time Champions League winners with Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Rúben Dias (29) and Rafael Leão (27), is the presence of «CR7» still a competitive advantage?

The context of the squad, after all, speaks of an extraordinarily talented generation: Vitinha and João Neves have twice lifted the big-eared cup with the Parisian club, Dias won the Champions League with Manchester City, Diogo Costa (26) wears the captain's armband at Portuguese champions FC Porto, while Fernandes is United's technical reference point. A technical heritage that, according to critics, risks not being fully expressed alongside an individual talent like Ronaldo's, used to being the absolute protagonist.

Also complicating the picture is a symbolic comparison with the past. «Verstehen Sie, dass das das Gegenteil von Eusébio ist?», one commentator asked, invoking the image of the 1960s champion, capable of putting himself at the service of the team. A comparison that, in the view of those criticising the current Ronaldo, captures the distance between the football of yesteryear and today's, where dressing-room dynamics and personal agendas can weigh as much as pure talent.

Towards the clash with Spain

Meanwhile, on the sporting front, Portugal managed to snatch qualification for the round of 16 – scheduled for Monday evening against reigning European champions Spain – thanks to a 2-1 victory over Croatia. The goalscorer, in a match that saw Ronaldo start on the bench, was Gonçalo Ramos, whose performance evoked precisely that of the 2022 round of 16 against Switzerland, when it was he who took centre stage in place of the captain. Two episodes which, according to supporters of the «green line», would demonstrate that the Portugal of the future is already ready.

The fact remains that, beyond the opposing positions, Cristiano Ronaldo's presence on the pitch does not seem to be questioned by coach Martínez, who continues to consider him a central element of the project. The match against Spain, therefore, promises to be a new testing ground for a debate that, in all probability, will accompany the Portuguese national team for the entire duration of the tournament and beyond.