Is the Portuguese coach afraid of having to substitute Ronaldo?

Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo disappointed on the opening day despite playing the full 90 minutes against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the opening match of Group K at the 2026 World Cup on the morning of June 18th.

Coach Roberto Martinez was criticized for letting Ronaldo play the entire match. Photo: Reuters .

Before Portugal's 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo, fans expected Ronaldo to become the first player to score in six different World Cups. However, what happened on the pitch was completely contrary to expectations, as CR7 had a lackluster performance and failed to make a difference for his team.

Following the match, manager Roberto Martinez's decision to keep Ronaldo on the field until the end became a subject of controversy. Commenting on BBC , former striker Chris Sutton suggested that the Spanish strategist had been too cautious.

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“That was a rather puzzling decision from Martinez. It felt like he was hesitant to substitute Ronaldo. Ronaldo isn't a coach, but today's game seemed to have gone beyond his influence,” Sutton commented.

Instead of substituting Ronaldo, coach Martinez decided to take Vitinha off in the 83rd minute, replacing him with striker Goncalo Ramos. However, this change also failed to have any effect for the remainder of the match.

Despite controlling possession for 75%, Portugal struggled in attack. Roberto Martinez's team only managed 7 shots throughout the entire match, with Joao Neves' goal being their only shot on target.

The 1-1 draw doesn't significantly affect Portugal's chances of progressing in Group K. However, the European representatives will need to improve their performance in the remaining two group stage matches.

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Source: https://znews.vn/hlv-bo-dao-nha-so-phai-thay-ronaldo-post1660810.html