Martínez defends Ronaldo as Portugal survives on his penalty

Roberto Martínez’s reaction on the touchline said as much as Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty did. When Ronaldo converted to keep Portugal alive against Croatia in Toronto, Martínez celebrated with unusual force, a visible release after days of defending the captain’s place at the center of the team’s World Cup run.

Martínez had spent the buildup dismissing the idea that Ronaldo should be measured against Lionel Messi or Erling Haaland, calling that comparison “childish.” He also said Ronaldo was “mentally and physically” prepared to play every minute, and argued there was no sense in taking out the “best goalscorer in world football” when Portugal needed goals.

That stance carried real weight because Ronaldo, at 41, had already played all 270 minutes of Portugal’s three Group K matches. Portugal finished second after a 0-0 draw with Colombia, setting up the knockout meeting with Croatia, and Ronaldo’s role only grew more scrutinized after he missed two clear chances in the 1-1 draw with the Republic of the Congo.

The pressure eased only briefly when Portugal then beat Uzbekistan 5-0 and Ronaldo scored twice. After that match, Martínez called him a “leader exemplary” and pushed back against the “ruido injusto” around the squad, language that reflected how closely the team’s fortunes remained tied to one player. Ronaldo’s numbers reinforced that reality: 143 goals in 229 international matches, both records in men’s football.

Against Croatia, the penalty did more than level the match. It validated Martínez’s decision to keep trusting Ronaldo through the group stage, and it explained why the manager’s celebration looked less like routine approval than a response to the strain of knockout football. Portugal’s survival in that moment depended on a veteran captain who had become both the target of criticism and the clearest proof of the plan Martínez refused to abandon.