2026 World Cup: Portugal coach, Martinez speaks on dropping Ronaldo against Croatia

Portugal head coach, Roberto Martinez, has remained coy about leaving Cristiano Ronaldo out for the last-32 clash against Croatia at the 2026 World Cup.

Ronaldo started all three matches during the group stages and scored only twice – both goals against Uzbekistan.

There have been calls for the 41-year-old to be dropped, over concerns about his effect on the general team play.

But Martinez refused to commit to benching his top goalscorer in the knockouts.

He said: “Cristiano is used to being in the right place at the right time. He is very disciplined in his position, and he also creates space for his teammates.

“His physical and mental condition is not in question. We may need to make changes in the next match, but we base every decision on the information and data we have.”