Portugal coach: 'I learned a lot from Ronaldo'

Iceland: According to coach Roberto Martinez, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo deserved the winning goal in his 200th match for the Portuguese national team.

In the press conference following the victory in Iceland on June 20th, coach Martinez was asked how he assessed Ronaldo at the age of 38. He replied: "Not every player understands what it's like to play football at 38. I admire the way Ronaldo is determined to be number one and improve every day. I've learned a lot from him."

Ronaldo celebrates a goal during Portugal's 1-0 victory over Iceland in the Euro 2024 qualifiers at the Laugardalsvöllur stadium in Reykjavik on June 20, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Martinez added that 40-year-old center-back Pepe also maintains the same spirit as Ronaldo, with both players always arriving at training earliest and leaving latest. "Pepe and Ronaldo are like young lads. Ronaldo's fitness is still good; he played 90 minutes in both of the recent matches," he added. "I'm not surprised because he's capable of doing that."

Ronaldo played the entire match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 17th, although he didn't score. But in the match against Iceland three days later, he scored in the 89th minute to secure three points for the visitors, from a header assist by defender Goncalo Inacio. Some Icelandic fans even shouted "sie!" when Ronaldo celebrated with his familiar jump and spin. After the match, Inacio also said that he was very happy to have assisted Ronaldo.

Before this match, Ronaldo set a record for playing 200 games for a national team. He had scored 123 goals for Portugal, also a record. "Ronaldo scoring is the perfect story," added coach Martinez. "It's the result of talent, willpower, and hard work. He deserves this achievement."

Iceland 0-1 Portugal

Key events of the Iceland 0-1 Portugal match.

Ronaldo also rose to second place in the list of top scorers in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, with five goals, behind Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) and Rasmus Hojlund (Denmark). Meanwhile, Portugal remained firmly at the top of Group J with four wins out of four matches.

After this match, Ronaldo and his teammates will have their summer break. The 38-year-old striker has not hidden his intention to play in Euro 2024, a tournament where he also holds a number of records, including the number of goals and appearances.

Hoang An

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