Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has explained his decision to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo in the 63rd minute of their 3-1 Nations League win over Poland, despite Ronaldo scoring his 133rd goal for the national team, as reported by Sportskeeda. Martinez brought on Diogo Jota in Ronaldo’s place, which raised questions from fans and pundits.
Martinez cited the need to manage players due to a tight schedule. “It’s part of managing players when you have two games in 72 hours,” he said. “Diogo Jota came on very well. Cristiano is perfect.”
Ronaldo had an impressive start to the match, hitting the crossbar within 11 minutes, followed by Bernardo Silva’s opener and his own goal in the 37th minute. Poland’s Piotr Zielinski then scored, but an own goal by Jan Bednarek secured Portugal’s win.
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The substitution has sparked further debate about Ronaldo’s role in the team. Pundit Tomas da Cunha suggested Ronaldo’s “untouchable status” might hinder the development of younger players, noting his underwhelming performances in recent major tournaments. He argued, “Ronaldo left a lot to be desired in the last World Cup and Euros.”
As the 2026 World Cup approaches, Martinez faces the challenge of balancing Ronaldo’s experience and scoring prowess with the need to integrate emerging talent, as Ronaldo will be 41 by then.