Portugal coach Roberto Martinez opens up on how it feels to work with Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of 2026 World Cup

Portugal boss Roberto Martinez spoke glowingly about working with Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the team’s World Cup Qualifiers against Ireland and Hungary. Martinez praised Ronaldo for his professionalism, commitment, and unmatched influence within the squad.

At 40, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to show why he remains an integral part of the Portuguese national team. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was honored with the ‘Best of All Time’ award by the Portuguese Football League last month and was most recently recognized with the Globo Prestigio Award, celebrating his 22 years of representing Portugal at international level.

Martinez was a guest speaker at the Portugal Football Summit, where he spoke highly of Ronaldo during his speech, calling him ‘a genius.’ He said:

"Cristiano is one of those people who looks for that little detail that will give them an advantage and help them recover faster, and that's a great example. Plus, there's his love for playing for the national team. For the coaching staff, nothing is better than seeing what it means for a player to represent the national team, and when you see someone like that, who is the only player in the world to have played more than 200 matches [for a national team], he's a role model."

Portugal will face Ireland first on Saturday, October 11, before taking on Hungary on Tuesday, October 14.

“I could, I would play football only for the national team” – Cristiano Ronaldo on his ‘passion’ for wearing the Portuguese national team jersey

After being honored with the Globo Prestigio Award at the Portugal Football Globes gala, Cristiano Ronaldo revealed how much it means to him to wear the national team jersey, saying he would gladly quit club football if it meant only playing for Portugal.

Ronaldo told the audience (via Record):

“I don't see this trophy as the end of a career, but rather as a continuation of everything I've done, my entire career. I've been with the national team for 22 years; I think that speaks for itself: the passion I have for wearing the jersey, for winning trophies, for playing for the national team. I often say: if I could, I would play football only for the national team; I wouldn't play for any other club because it's the culmination and the peak of a football player"

Indeed, Cristiano Ronaldo has etched his name in the history books of the Portuguese national team. He is currently the player with the most caps (223) and most goals (141) for his country.