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After thrashing Armenia 9-1 in the absence of superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez asserted that each member of the squad brings 'something different' to the table.
In the Selecao das Quinas' 2-0 loss to Ireland on Thursday (November 13), the Al-Nassr forward was sent off for the first time in 226 international appearances. He received a straight red card for elbowing Irish defender Dara O'Shea in the 61st minute.
The loss meant that Portugal needed a win against Armenia to secure a direct ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Despite their captain's absence, hat-tricks from Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes set up a thumping win for Martinez's side.
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After the game, the Spanish tactician was asked about his players stepping up in the absence of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. He said (via O Jogo):
"When we talk about players individually, it's not just about Ronaldo, it's about everyone. We have a group of 10 more outfield players, making 25, and they all bring something different, they can all be important. Cris is always a matter of public opinion. When he scores, people ask what we're going to do when he's not there, they say there's a dependency. When he doesn't play and we win, it's 'Who needs him...'"
"One thing is the popular, street debate, and another is the competitiveness in the locker room. What was important today was having leadership: Bruno Fernandes, Rúben Dias, Bernardo Silva were very important in that. Leadership isn't just one player, there are several, and today we scored nine and had more opportunities, but we also had the best left-back [Nuno Mendes] who didn't play, Pedro Neto played every game since the Nations League and he didn't play either... We have many options and it's important to win when important players aren't with us."
While the length of Ronaldo's ban hasn't been revealed yet, rumours have claimed that he could miss Portugal's first two group stage fixtures at the World Cup next summer.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo set to make history at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is set to rewrite the history books when he takes to the field at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Despite a suspension that could see him miss a few group stage fixtures, the 40-year-old is likely to make Roberto Martinez's final squad for the headline tournament next summer. If he does so, he will become the first player to feature at six World Cup tournaments.
As it stands, six players have made an appearance at five different World Cups. The record is held jointly by Mexican trio Antonio Carabajal, Rafael Marquez and Andres Guardado, German legend Lothar Matthaus, Ronaldo and his long-term rival Lionel Messi.
Although Messi has had his fair share of injury problems in recent times, he is likely to make an appearance in his sixth World Cup for Argentina next year. Nearing the twilight of their careers, it would likely be the last appearance at a World Cup for the Argentine maestro and the Portuguese legend.
