Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has praised Cristiano Ronaldo for his determination while also emphasizing his importance in the national side. Ronaldo has been instrumental to Portugal’s success in international football.
The 40-year-old holds the record for most goals scored in international football (136). He has also played 219 games for Os Navegadores, the most by any player in history.
Addressing Cristiano Ronaldo‘s importance in the national team, Roberto Martinez recently revealed that apart from fulfilling the captain’s role, the superstar serves as a mentor for young players. During an interview with RTP earlier this week, Martinez said (via O Jogo):
The former Belgium manager added:
Portugal have won two international titles in history, and both have come under Ronaldo’s captaincy. In 2016, Os Navegadores won the European Championship, and in 2019, they won the Nations League. Ronaldo has also shown the desire to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo has retained the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot with 25 goals for Al-Nassr in the 2024-25 campaign. In 30 top-tier Saudi Arabian league appearances, the Portuguese legend scored 25 goals and provided three assists.
Despite his prolific goalscoring, Ronaldo failed to win silverware with the Knights of Najd. They lost 3-2 to Kawasaki Frontale in the Champions League semifinals in April. The club then missed out on the Saudi Super Cup and the King’s Cup.
Additionally, Al-Nassr’s 3-2 league loss to Al-Fateh has ruined their chances of qualifying for the next season’s Asian Champions League.
Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ahil have secured qualifications for the 2025-26 Asian Champions League, as per the rules. Meanwhile, Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney finished second in the Golden Boot race with 23 goals from 30 outings.
Shashank has been a Liverpool supporter since 2014 and had first stumbled upon the club after receiving a gift which had the words ‘Liverpool FC’ written on it. He has idolised Steven Gerrard over the years but his favorite football memory is the Reds’ incredible comeback 4-0 win over Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semis. He, unsurprisingly, also loves Jurgen Klopp’s managerial style.
He strives to report 100% accurate content by going through several social media platforms, and prides himself on his above-average vocabulary and researching skills. In his career so far, Shashank has had the privilege of interviewing Indian national football team goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Shashank also follows the Indian Super League and the Eredivisie along with European Football. In his off time, he likes to do theatre, watch Tennis, and travel.
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