The criticism around Cristiano Ronaldo’s role in Portugal’s national team is still growing after Portugal opened the 2026 World Cup with a disappointing 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo. More voices are now urging coach Roberto Martinez to reconsider the 41-year-old captain’s place in the lineup.
Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha, who played alongside Ronaldo at Old Trafford, joined the debate. He said Ronaldo’s relentless drive to chase records and compete with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland could hurt Portugal on the pitch. “We need to save Cristiano Ronaldo from himself,” Saha said. “Cristiano will always be in competition with Haaland, Mbappe and Messi. He wants to play every minute to break records, that is his mentality and we understand it. But I think he also understands that Portugal needs a high tempo. It wants to press, to be at maximum energy, and that will require changes.”
Saha stressed that he was not dismissing Ronaldo’s current form, saying the veteran has worked hard to reach this stage and can still respond well. Still, he warned that some matches in the tournament will be physically difficult for him. “His fitness looks good, he worked very hard for these moments and I trust him to respond in the right way,” he added. “But there will be matches where it will be hard for him.”
The scrutiny intensified after Ronaldo’s subdued performance against Congo, where Portugal struggled to break down the African side’s defense. Martinez also came under fire for not substituting his captain despite Ronaldo’s limited impact. Portuguese and international media have claimed Martinez continues to give Ronaldo almost unlimited credit, possibly because of their close relationship. Saha argued that load management and rotation are the right approach, even for one of the game’s all-time greats, saying Martinez will sometimes need to answer unnecessary questions and at other times bench Ronaldo to help him go all the way in the tournament.
