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Mourinho believes Martinez was right to substitute Ronaldo before Ramos scored the winning goal. |
Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 in their Round of 32 match at the 2026 World Cup on the morning of July 3rd. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the equalizer from the penalty spot, before Goncalo Ramos came on as a substitute and headed in the winning goal in injury time.
Coach Roberto Martinez's decision to substitute Ronaldo immediately sparked debate. However, Mourinho argued that it was a courageous and correct choice given the tense nature of the match.
"Football is about making difficult decisions, not decisions that please everyone," Mourinho said. According to him, a coach's job is to help the team win, not to please the media or social media.
Mourinho believes Martinez trusted his instincts. When Ronaldo left the field, Portugal needed more energy in the penalty area. Ramos came on, moved aggressively, and capitalized on the opportunity with an accurate header. For Mourinho, that was the impact a substitution needs to make.
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Mourinho defended Ronaldo, while also praising Ramos for making the difference with a header that helped Portugal beat Croatia 2-1. You may also like  Cristiano Ronaldo sets a series of new records at the World Cup.At the age of 41 years and 147 days, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo made history as the oldest player to participate in and score in the World Cup knockout rounds.  Incredible statistics about Ronaldo after scoring his first goal in the World Cup knockout round.Ronaldo had only one touch of the ball in the penalty area during his 81 minutes on the pitch, which was the penalty goal in the 68th minute to equalize 1-1 for Portugal, before Goncalo Ramos scored the winning goal against Croatia on July 3rd, securing a 2-1 victory.  Ibrahimovic: 'The referee did everything he could to help Ronaldo win the World Cup'Zlatan Ibrahimovic sparked controversy by claiming that the referee and VAR disallowed Croatia's legitimate equalizer, and accusing the officials of "doing everything to help Ronaldo win the World Cup". |
The former Real Madrid coach also emphasized that substituting Ronaldo did not mean disrespecting the 41-year-old superstar. He called Ronaldo one of the greatest players in history, but affirmed that no player is bigger than the team.
"A manager must make decisions for the team, even if those decisions are unpopular," Mourinho said.
Earlier, Mourinho also commented on the possibility of Ronaldo being benched for the remainder of the World Cup campaign. He suggested that this would be a very difficult issue for Portugal, as Ronaldo still exerts significant pressure on opposing defenses.
"When Cristiano is on the pitch, defenders have to think twice. If he's not there, they don't think at all," Mourinho commented.
Mourinho also defended Ronaldo's performance against Croatia. When asked about Ronaldo "only scoring from the penalty spot," he argued that such an assessment was too simplistic. Mourinho referred to Ronaldo's disallowed goal, in which the Portuguese striker made a good run, touched the ball well, and finished, but was ruled offside.
"People will remember the penalty. But I will remember the shot that was disallowed," Mourinho said.
The victory against Croatia keeps Portugal's hopes alive at the World Cup. For Ramos, the injury-time goal could be a major turning point. For Martinez, it's proof that difficult decisions sometimes make the biggest difference.
Source: https://znews.vn/mourinho-martinez-da-dung-khi-rut-ronaldo-post1665531.html
