"Does he have that presence" - Pundit questions Roberto Martinez's decision to keep starting Cristiano Ronaldo despite standout display against Poland

ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop reckons Portugal boss Roberto Martinez lacks the presence to drop Cristiano Ronaldo from his starting XI despite the latter's standout performance in their win against Poland. Ronaldo inspired Portugal to a dominant 5-1 win over Poland in their UEFA Nations League clash at the Estadio do Dragao on Friday, November 15.

Despite a slow start in the first half, Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. put on a show after the break, netting five goals in close to 30 minutes. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner dispatched his penalty in the 72nd minute before scoring a sensational bicycle kick in the 87th minute. He also assisted Pedro Neto (83') for Portugal's fourth goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo earned a match-high rating of 9.4 for his feats (via FotMob). In addition to his goal contributions, he created two chances, completed both his dribbles and won six duels.

However, this wasn't enough to impress the desk at ESPN as the host asked:

"Talking about Ronaldo today, does it obviously help his case, but how much for a starting role in 2026?"

Hislop replied:

"I don't think Ronaldo should start for Portugal. I didn't think since 2022 and you saw it happen during the World Cup where he's left off and becomes a bit par player. Does Roberto Martinez have that presence to say, 'Cristiano, I'm going with somebody else today?' I don't think so"

He continued:

"Nobody has the presence to tell Ronaldo, listen you need to step away from free kicks, never mind step away from the pitch. And we all see, we all see the numbers with Ronaldo from set pieces, they aren't great. But still, he is the man that for some reason Portugal goes to, even with the presence of far better, certainly statistically takers on the park."

"And while it's a difficult day to kind of say that, given that Ronaldo scored two and had an assist, at the very least it just against better opposition, I think I'd prefer another option."

Cristiano Ronaldo has struggled to convert his free-kicks in recent times. This was seen during Euro 2024 where he failed to score from 23 attempts. Despite this, the Portuguese forward remains the highest men's international goalscorer of all time with 135 goals and 45 assists in 215 appearances.

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“The first half wasn't good" - Cristiano Ronaldo delivers verdict following Portugal's 5-1 win against Poland

Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo admitted his side were sub-par in the first half following their 5-1 win against Poland. However, he also praised his teammates for bouncing back well in the second half to seal all three points.

Despite dominating possession before the break, Portugal were unable to do much in the final third, with Poland looking the better side.

However, Rafael Leao's 59th-minute goal turned the tide. Ronaldo netted a brace, while Bruno Fernandes (80'), and Pedro Neto were also on target. Dominik Marczuk scored a consolation goal for Poland in the 88th minute.

Reflecting on the side's performance, Cristiano Ronaldo said (via @TheNassrZone):

“The first half wasn't good, we came into the game a bit lax from my point of view, all of us. But the second half was amazing. We came into the game with good dynamics, we managed to score goals and secure qualification in first place. That's what we wanted. We knew that Croatia were 0-0 and playing with ten men, and of course, I'm happy to score two goals.”

Portugal remain at the top of League A Group 1 with 13 points from five games, six points above second-placed Croatia.