Roberto Martinez said on Thursday that Cristiano Ronaldo’s level has not dropped since his move to Saudi Arabia, after the Portugal coach travelled to Riyadh on Tuesday, May 12 to watch the 1-1 draw between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal at the King Saud University Stadium.
Martinez, who used the trip to evaluate Ruben Neves, Joao Felix and Ronaldo, insisted the 41-year-old forward still carries the hunger that made him a global star. "Cristiano continues to have a great desire to win and I see no sign that his level has dropped since he came to Saudi Arabia," Martinez said, later adding that "Age is only a number."
The numbers the coach is weighing are stark: Ronaldo, 41, scored 26 goals and provided three assists for al-nassr fc this season, helping the club sit at the summit of the Saudi Pro League, and has a long international record that includes 143 goals for Portugal and the prospect of a fifth World Cup appearance.
Those statistics matter because Portugal must finalise a 26-man squad on Tuesday, May 19 for the 2026 World Cup, and Martinez made clear selection will be based on current form. "However, achievements alone are not enough to guarantee a place in the national team," he said, stressing that every player is judged by the same standards and on their present level.
Portugal are preparing for a North American campaign that begins on June 17 in Houston against DR Congo, with the national side drawn in Group K alongside Uzbekistan and Colombia. Martinez said Ronaldo has accepted different roles within the national set-up and has been disciplined to stay in the right positions and execute Portugal's attacking patterns — qualities the coach said he values when assessing squad makeup.
Martinez also offered a personal endorsement of Ronaldo’s approach. "Cristiano does not play for money, he does not play for titles, he plays to improve," Martinez said, calling him "an example." That framing underlines why Martinez made the trip to the King Saud University Stadium: to see whether the veteran’s output and influence at club level match the tactical needs Martinez plans for the World Cup.
Yet tension runs through Martinez’s remarks. He has repeatedly emphasised that no player is above evaluation. Saying that players are judged by current form and that "achievements alone are not enough to guarantee a place in the national team" exposes a possible conflict between Ronaldo’s storied past and the ruthless demands of tournament selection.
The immediate decision point is clear. Martinez’s inspection of Neves, Felix and Ronaldo in Riyadh and his public insistence on standards set the stage for a May 19 announcement that will test whether reputation or recent performance carries the most weight in his thinking.
Martinez has framed the debate: age need not be a barrier, but past laurels do not guarantee a spot — and as Portugal move toward the World Cup, the coach’s next act will show which of those principles governs his final choices.
