Roberto Martinez as soon as once more defended Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who performed an additional 90 minutes within the 0-0 draw with Colombia on the World Cup.
It was Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup look and twenty fifth look within the event, however he was unable to contribute to Portugal’s victory over Colombia, who completed second in Group Ok.
The 41-year-old struggled to make an affect at Miami Stadium, hitting simply one in every of three photographs on course and taking simply 35 touches. His batting common was the fourth lowest among the many Portuguese outfield gamers who began this sport.
He was additionally caught offside twice. Over the previous two World Cups, he has been offside 11 instances, 4 greater than some other participant (Kylian Mbappe and Luis Diaz each have seven).
Not like Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Norway’s Erling Haaland, who began on the bench within the closing group sport, Ronaldo began from the low season.
He’s one in every of solely three outfield gamers, together with Bruno Fernandes and Renato Veiga, to have performed a complete of 270 minutes in Portugal’s marketing campaign to this point, and Martínez doesn’t count on that to alter anytime quickly forward of the finals.
“Clearly, we do not examine gamers on our group to different gamers to make choices. I feel that is very infantile and really unprofessional,” Martinez informed reporters.
“What I can let you know is that we monitor all of the (participant) data that’s out there stay through the match.
“There are totally different positions on the pitch, every with totally different wants, and we monitor that all the way down to the final element. Cristiano is used to being in the correct place on the proper time.
“It is OK bodily and mentally for Cristiano to play 90 minutes in in the present day’s sport. Maybe adjustments must be made for the following sport, but it surely’s the identical as some other participant.”
Portugal’s reward for ending second of their group was a draw with Croatia, who defeated Ghana of their closing Group L sport to take second place behind Thomas Tuchel’s England.
The match will likely be performed at Toronto Stadium on July 2nd, the day earlier than the primary anniversary of Diogo Jota’s dying.
“In fact, each day is troublesome. Once we prepare, there are at all times moments when Diogo Jota comes again to our recollections,” Martinez added.
“So I’m not saying the anniversary must be a very troublesome factor, I feel it’s a little bit of a celebration.
“We have to pay tribute to Diogo Jota. It is a second to cherish. All the things we began with this group began with him. We received the Nations League due to him. He’s most likely the largest inspiration and light-weight that we’ve.”
“We wish to win the World Cup for him. The anniversary is only a second to make the sport Diogo Jota’s sport.”
“It is not a troublesome second. Each day is troublesome when he is not bodily there. Perhaps moments like this, once we do not win video games, his need, his references to having his beliefs, are at all times very clear in entrance of us.”
The Portuguese Soccer Federation and Portuguese soccer as an entire are utterly devastated by the passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva this morning in Spain.
Way over Diogo, an amazing participant with round 50 caps for nationwide group A… pic.twitter.com/EN901fH6FG
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) July 3, 2025
Then again, consecutive wins over Uzbekistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo made a distinction for Colombia, who completed first of their group, with Ghana in second place within the spherical of 32.
They’re at present unbeaten of their final 4 matches towards UEFA opponents within the World Cup (W2 D2). That is after avoiding defeat 3 times of their final eight video games (wins, losses, 5 attracts), however you’ll really feel they need to have taken all three factors.
Colombia tried 24 photographs towards Portugal, essentially the most in a World Cup match since 1966 and surpassed the 23 photographs towards america in 1994.
Nestor Lorenzo’s facet had a complete anticipated objectives (xG) of 1.7 with 13 photographs, however solely six photographs on course, in comparison with Portugal’s 0.93 with 13 photographs.
And Colombia’s coach bemoaned his group’s profligacy within the closing third, suggesting his facet’s wasteful spending could be punished within the closing levels of the event.
“These groups have elite gamers and in the event that they miss so many possibilities they are going to undergo much more than they did in the present day,” Lorenzo warned.
“We have been effective with that draw, however we nonetheless completed first within the group. We tried onerous towards Congo however solely had one objective, and in the present day we could not try this.”
“So I want I might have completed the race, however the efficiency was excellent and I’m grateful to the gamers.”
Lorenzo additionally requested if his group’s efficiency towards the World Cup favorites had raised expectations too excessive in Colombia.
“The reality is, I imagine individuals have hope,” he mentioned. “I mentioned the opposite day once they employed me, they employed me to qualify, and now individuals need you to win the World Cup.
“So there’s hope, we’re hopeful, however we’ve to take it one sport at a time.”
