"I would fire Martinez" - Portugal fans blame head coach for decision involving Cristiano Ronaldo’s 28-year-old teammate in 3-2 win vs Hungary

For his peculiar decision to play Ruben Neves at centre-back, Roberto Martinez, the manager of Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, received flak from supporters online. The Spanish tactician tried the risky move in Selecao das Quinas' 3-2 win over Hungary (September 9).

With the game tied at 1-1 courtesy of goals from Barnabas Varga (21') and Bernardo Silva (36'), Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot (58') to give his side the lead. Although Varga equalized (84'), a collected finish from Joao Cancelo (86') sealed an important win for Martinez's side

A deep-lying playmaking midfielder by trade, Neves was deployed as Ruben Dias' centre-back partner against Hungary. Portugal fans were left confused by the decision, taking to X to vent their frustrations after the hard-fought victory.

@NunoTeixei asserted:

"Even if they win this game, I would fire Martinez for his decision to play Ruben Neves."

Here is a selection of fan reactions (via X):

"Martinez gambles alot with his tactics. What is Ruben Neves doing in CB position when you got CBs available," @AlmightyEvanz claimed.

"Hungary has given us headaches before. But I hope this is the end of the Ruben Neves at CB experiment," @grandePortugal1 wrote.

"Relief but a lesson for Roberto Martinez. He shouldn't start Neves as a centre back again," @elegant11130 claimed.

"Put in some real center backs please! What is Martinez obsession with Ruben Neves? Veiga was the right play today," @Acoreanalchemy noted.

"This idiot Martinez should remove Ruben Neves from CB and put a CB there has tried, playing there, let a proper CB finish the game at this point bro," @FelixLucky15 wrote.

"Ruben Neves at CB what did we do to deserve this," @JimmyGuappolo sighed.

"I hope the worst for Roberto Martinez. 2nd type of goal cuz we playing Neves and Vitinha dropping back," @ManuDaGoat wrote.

@goncalopauseiro queried, "I'm no coach but what's the game plan from Roberto Martinez putting Ruben Neves at center back?"

"Ruben Neves at CB is NOT IT," @ronaldoptgl claimed.

After a month-long spell of club football, Ronaldo will next be seen in action for Portugal in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture against Ireland on October 11.

Cristiano Ronaldo equals world record after goal in Portugal's 3-2 win vs Hungary

Superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo equalled the record for the most goals scored in World Cup qualifying in Portugal's 3-2 win over Hungary (September 9).

With the game tied at 1-1 in the 58th minute, the 40-year-old stepped up to the penalty spot. He calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner to put his side into the lead.

The spot-kick was Ronaldo's 39th goal in FIFA World Cup qualifying history, equivalent to the tally of Guatemala's Carlos Ruiz and three ahead of long-time rival Lionel Messi (for Argentina). He will likely lead the line for Portugal at the showpiece tournament next summer, in what would potentially be his sixth and final appearance on the biggest footballing stage.

Up next, however, the Portuguese captain will return to club football action with Al-Nassr, taking on Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday (September 14).

About the author

Aaryan has been covering European football at Sportskeeda since the start of 2024. He is pursuing an integrated M.Sc. degree in Chemistry at NIT Rourkela, and tends to rely on his proclivity for numbers and statistics for his content, making the most of websites like Transfermarkt and FotMob. He is also a district level basketball and table tennis player.

A Borussia Dortmund fan, Aaryan had his first tryst with football during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Despite his young mind being influenced by Lionel Messi's exploits, his favorite World Cup moment is Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning free-kick against Spain from the 2018 version. He strongly believes that Jude Bellingham and Florian Wirtz can replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their respective potentials.

Aaryan, who has been on commentary panels for football and cricket tournaments at his university, is a huge admirer of Achraf Hakimi for the Moroccan's loan stint in Dortmund between 2018 and 2020. His favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who impressed him with his excellent tactical nous and benignant man-management skills.

When he is not scouring the internet for unique statistics, Aaryan follows the Indian Super League, the A-League, and the Saudi Pro League among others. He is an avid quizzer and debater, and a trained classical and western musician who likes to rock out for his college band, Euphony, as lead vocalist and guitarist.

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Edited by Aaryan Nagraj