"Don't see Martinez being the guy to stand up to him" - Pundit on Cristiano Ronaldo's influence on his own selection in Portugal starting XIs

ESPN pundit Steve Nicol believes Portugal manager Roberto Martinez lets Cristiano Ronaldo influence his own selection in the starting XI. He also reckons Martinez will be unable to stand up to Ronaldo, comparing the situation to how the Spaniard managed Belgium's "golden generation" between 2016 and 2022.

Since becoming Portugal's manager in January 2023, Martinez has entrusted Cristiano Ronaldo to lead the line in his starting XI. The 40-year-old has performed well up front, netting 18 goals and registering four assists in 23 appearances across all competitions since then.

However, Ronaldo failed to impress during Euro 2024, scoring zero goals in five appearances as A Selecao failed to advance past the quarter-finals. This led to many questioning his place in the starting XI, two years after he similarly struggled to make an impact at the 2022 FIFA World Cup during the knockout phase.

During a segment on ESPN, Nicol stated that Cristiano Ronaldo makes the decisions in the squad, despite negatively affecting the team during games. He said:

"The problem is Martinez's past history with big time guys in Belgium suggests that he lets them decide which is why it seems as though its going to be down to the player (Ronaldo) which is completely and utterly wrong. I understand when somebody is coming to the end of their international career and the manager has a word and asks them how they feel and how they are physically."

He added:

"I understand but when you are talking about a guy who is 40, a guy who can't run away from anybody, a guy who demands the ball when he shouldn't and a guy who will affect the fluidity of the team that we've been talking about, It is 100% wrong, but I just don't see Martinez being the guy to stand up to Ronaldo."

Martinez became Belgium's head coach in 2016, inheriting a squad that included superstars like Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard. Despite guiding the Red Devils to a third-place finish during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he was unable to bring home a trophy.

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Cristiano Ronaldo reacts on social media after guiding Portugal to Nations League semi-finals

Cristiano Ronaldo reacted on X after he scored during Portugal's 5-2 win over Denmark in the second leg of their 2025 UEFA Nations League quarter-final clash. The two sides faced each other at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on March 23, with A Selecao winning 5-3 on aggregate after losing the first leg 1-0.

Despite missing an early penalty, Ronaldo netted in the 72nd minute to get his side back in the game. Francisco Trincao netted a brace, while Goncalo Ramos and Joachim Andersen's own goal resulted in the hosts scoring five goals. Rasmus Kristensen and Christian Eriksen were on target for Denmark.

Ronaldo tweeted:

"WHAT A NIGHT, PORTUGAL!"

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will face Germany in the Nations League semi-finals set to take place on June 4.