5 hours ago
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Portugal manager Roberto Martinez dismissed questions astir Cristiano Ronaldo’s relation aft a frustrating World Cup opener, defending his determination to support the skipper on for the afloat 90 minutes in Wednesday’s (June 18, 2026) 1-1 gully with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ronaldo went without a changeable connected people successful Houston, extending his scoreless streak to 5 consecutive World Cup matches and 10 consecutive games astatine large tournaments. The 41-year-old guardant hasn’t scored a non-penalty goal astatine a World Cup oregon European Championship since June 2021, but Martinez said removing him was ne'er a superior information portion Portugal chased a winner.
0 - Cristiano Ronaldo has present gone 10 consecutive large tourney games without scoring for Portugal (FIFA World Cup/EURO):
33 shots
11 connected target
0 goals
Drought. pic.twitter.com/PYQIHPgCkM
“It makes nary sense to get the champion extremity scorer successful satellite shot retired successful a crippled that you request goals,” Martinez said.
Ronaldo, Portugal’s all-time starring scorer with 143 planetary goals, became lone the 2nd subordinate to look successful six World Cups, following Lionel Messi. But dissimilar Messi, who scored a chapeau trick connected Tuesday, Ronaldo’s bid to go the archetypal subordinate to people successful six antithetic World Cups volition person to wait.
Portugal started strong, with Joao Neves scoring successful the sixth minute, but the aboriginal vantage didn’t pb to sustained pressure. Martinez said the goal had the other effect, with Portugal becoming excessively cautious successful possession and allowing DR Congo to reset defensively.
“We started very, precise well,” Martinez said. “Scoring the extremity — which is usually a infinitesimal erstwhile the emotion of scoring helps you support power of the lucifer and effort to people a 2nd extremity — had the other effect.”
Portugal continues Group K play connected Tuesday against Uzbekistan successful Houston.
