Portugal coach Roberto Martinez responds when asked about Cristiano Ronaldo's statement claiming World Cup win won't define his legacy

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has refused to comment on Cristiano Ronaldo's views on the FIFA World Cup. He hailed the national team captain for doing well on the pitch, adding that the forward was focused on the upcoming qualifiers.

Speaking to the media, Martinez said that Ronaldo remains a role model for his players and his views are always welcome. However, when asked about the World Cup not defining the forward's career, the Portugal coach declined to comment. He said (via The Nassr Zone)

“It’s always good to hear the captain’s thoughts, because there isn’t another player with more than 200 international appearances. He’s a role model for the whole group, thanks to his dedication every time he puts on the national team shirt. He’s fully focused on qualification in November."

"Aside from that, our focus is on qualifying, and I’ll prevent any talk about anything else. In the September camp, we earned 6 points, and 4 points in October, that was very good, but we need to achieve even more in these next two matches.”

Cristiano Ronaldo will line up with his A Selecao teammates for the upcoming qualifiers against Ireland (13 November) and Armenia (16 November).

What did Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo say about the FIFA World Cup?

Cristiano Ronaldo spoke to Piers Morgan earlier this week, boldly claiming that a FIFA World Cup win is not a dream. He believes that a short tournament should not define his career, but added that he is focused on qualifying.

Ronaldo added that he wants to enjoy his time with the national team and said:

“If you ask me, ‘Cristiano, is it a dream to win the World Cup?’ No, it’s not a dream. To win the World Cup, nothing will change my name in the history of football, I’m not going to lie. One thing that I’m sure of [is] that I will enjoy the moment. The moment is the most important thing that we have. We are not qualified already. Enjoy the moment.”

“In my mind, I’m not thinking in that way. Of course, you want to win, yeah. When you compete, you want to win... for me, [winning the World Cup] is not going to change the way I see things.”

Cristiano Ronaldo's best finish at the FIFA World Cup was the 2006 semifinals when they lost 1-0 to Zinedine Zidane's France. He won three trophies with the national team, winning the UEFA Nations League twice and the 2016 UEFA Euros.