Roberto Martinez Sends Ronaldo to Sixth World Cup
roberto martinez has sent Cristiano Ronaldo to a sixth World Cup, and the Portugal captain will reach North America still central to the side’s plans at 41 years old. Martínez said Ronaldo has the competitiveness needed for the tournament and called him “capitán ejemplar.”
Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup
“Tiene la competitividad necesaria para estar en el Mundial y es, desde mi punto de vista, un capitán ejemplar,” Martínez said when announcing the move. He also described Ronaldo as “el ícono del fútbol mundial” and “que está sometido a la misma exigencia que los demás,” a nod to the scrutiny that has followed him through the final stretch of his career.
Ronaldo’s inclusion keeps Portugal’s most capped player and top scorer at the center of the squad. It also extends a World Cup run that began in 2006, with the forward still carrying a record-level international profile into what he has said will be his last tournament.
Ronaldo and Portugal’s pressure
The decision comes with recent evidence that Ronaldo can still decide matches. He scored in the 2025 UEFA Nations League final against Spain and finished World Cup qualifying with five goals, then delivered 28 goals in 30 league matches after joining Al-Nassr in 2023.
There is friction in the picture, too. Ronaldo was sent off against Ireland in November for a deliberate elbow and was suspended for one match, though he will not miss any games in North America. He also was benched by Fernando Santos in Portugal’s knockout matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and Portugal lost 1-0 to Morocco in the quarterfinals.
Portugal in Houston
Portugal opens Group K on Wednesday against RD Congo in Houston, with Uzbekistan and Colombia also in the group. The timing gives Martínez a clear answer on his captain before the tournament begins, and it places Ronaldo back on the stage where he has not reached a semifinal since his first World Cup in 2006.
That run now stretches across 2006, 2022 and a sixth appearance to come, with the 41-year-old still handling the same expectation Martínez placed on him: lead Portugal, and do it as the standard-setter.
