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Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has strongly rejected claims that Cristiano Ronaldo should be handled in the same way as Lionel Messi or Erling Haaland, describing such comparisons as “childish.” Despite being 41, the veteran striker has featured in every minute of Portugal’s World Cup group stage campaign so far.

Martinez stands by Ronaldo’s workload

Martinez has refused suggestions that Ronaldo should be rested, insisting that it would be immature to compare his captain’s physical condition with that of Messi or Haaland. Ronaldo played the entire 90 minutes of Portugal’s goalless draw with Colombia, a result that secured second place for the Selecao in Group K.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has now completed all 270 minutes of Portugal’s group stage matches, even as other teams rotated their star players ahead of the knockout stages. While Norway and Argentina opted to rest Haaland and Messi, Martinez maintains that his captain remains “mentally and physically” fit to lead the attack without interruption.

No comparisons with Messi or Haaland

Speaking to the media in Miami Gardens, Martinez was quick to dismiss questions about why Ronaldo has not been rotated. “We don’t compare with other players from other teams,” the Spanish coach asserted. “That would be childish. Cristiano knows how to be in the right place at the right time. It’s more about mental strength, positional discipline, and creating space in our attacking structure.”

Martinez further clarified that his decisions are based on individual player data rather than external opinions. “It’s not a problem for Cristiano to play 90 minutes, but maybe for the next game we might make a change—just as we do with other players. We’ve already used 21 outfield players, so we’re sharing the workload,” he explained, underlining his squad rotation approach during the tournament.

Portugal’s data-driven approach

During the draw with Colombia, Portugal made several tactical substitutions, yet Ronaldo was the only player to remain on the field throughout. Martinez noted that certain positions demand more frequent changes due to their physical intensity. “Today we used Joao Neves and Ruben Neves for 45 minutes each, and we did the same with Diogo Dalot and Joao Cancelo, because every position has its own physical requirements,” he said.

The Portugal coaching team relies heavily on performance data to determine starting line-ups and substitutions. Martinez emphasized the importance of analytics in his decision-making process: “Some players are not at full fitness, but the data we gather is vital for making those calls.” Even though Ronaldo did not score against Colombia, Martinez expressed full confidence in his captain’s physical readiness.

Portugal ready for knockout stage challenge

Following the draw with Colombia, Portugal will now face Croatia in the Round of 32 in Toronto on Thursday. Finishing second in the group could set up a potential meeting with Euro 2024 champions Spain in the next round, but Martinez’s focus remains on his team’s progression as the tournament intensifies.

“Now it’s about adapting, improving, and controlling matches with more possession and composure,” Martinez explained. “This is what the World Cup is about—evolving through each stage. These three matches were crucial for us to reach top form. It was a valuable test, and we want to stay in the competition for eight matches. From here, the tournament truly changes.”