Portugal Manager: Cristiano Ronaldo Isn't a Guaranteed World Cup Starter

Cristiano Ronaldo will face added competition for places at the 2026 World Cup, Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has revealed. 

Evergreen 40-year-old CR7 is heading to that tournament, with another birthday being passed along the way, but is not expected to play every minute of every game — despite being captain of his country. Martinez is planning to take three strikers with him to the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Evergreen Ronaldo: All-time great heading to sixth World Cup

One of those will be Ronaldo, as long as the Al-Nassr frontman steers clear of injury. Another spot will be filled by Paris Saint-Germain star Gonçalo Ramos — who stepped in for Ronaldo when his iconic compatriot was benched at the 2022 World Cup.

CR7 is reluctant to take any backwards steps, or fill a support role, but must accept that he needs to be managed carefully in the latter stages of his record-shattering career. With that in mind, and sweltering temperatures being predicted at a major international tournament this summer, Martinez is eager to ensure that he is not left short in an important area of the field.

Will Ronaldo be benched again?

Martino told the Lusa news agency: "The door to the national team is always open, but the competitiveness makes it very difficult to get in. But, at the moment, we think we need a third striker and that this will be an important position for the World Cup."

Martinez added when asked about predecessor Fernando Santos’ decision to rotate Ronaldo out of his plans at the last World Cup: "What happens around Cristiano is a historical aspect. He's a world football icon, but that doesn't condition or limit our work. Cristiano is very calm and very focused on the day-to-day, and that's a simple formula. When Cristiano Ronaldo is doing well, it's very important for the national team."

Friendly benefits: Portugal to face Mexico & USA

Portugal should be full of confidence after winning the 2025 UEFA Nations League and securing automatic qualification for another World Cup. They have pre-tournament friendlies in place, with two of those taking them to Mexico and the USA in March.

Martinez outlined how important those fixtures will be: "We have several profiles and the March stage will be very important in that regard.

"This World Cup will be complex and demanding for the European teams. Therefore, this training camp will be very important, first for playing at altitude in Mexico, and then in an indoor stadium against the USA. We thought we should try this before the World Cup, and for us it's the perfect preparation."

Martinez has previously overseen quests for global glory with Belgium and believes he will have Portugal well prepared for the many challenges that they face. He explained the challenges of tournament soccer: "This will be my third World Cup, and I've learned that nobody arrives as a champion team. You need to grow during the first three games and do everything to ensure our players are comfortable throughout the tournament.

"We don't have a history in World Cups, and that's part of our psychological preparation. We need to go step by step and make the players believe that we can truly win the World Cup."

2026 World Cup: Portugal's opponents & Martinez's contract

Martinez’s contract is due to expire when the 2026 finals end, but he is giving little thought to his long-term future. He said: "That's not my concern right now. My focus is on the World Cup. I'm very happy with the work we're doing and with the support from the federation. We're all in this together for the next challenge.

"The goal is the 2026 World Cup, and then we'll talk about the future. I love Portugal and I love working with the national team. My job and my focus are on making history so that these achievements will be talked about for the next 15, 20 years."

Portugal have been placed in Group K at the 2026 World Cup, which will be staged between Houston and Miami. They will open against the winners of the intercontinental play-off (Jamaica, New Caledonia or Democratic Republic of Congo) before going on to face Uzbekistan and Colombia.

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