2026 World Cup: Portugal coach Roberto Martinez rules out ‘special treatment’ for Cristiano Ronaldo
After announcing Portugal's squad for the 2026 World Cup, head coach Roberto Martinez dismissed any sort of "special treatment" towards star Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano Ronaldo has been confirmed in Portugal‘s official 2026 World Cup squad at 41 years of age, and head coach Roberto Martinez has moved to dismiss any talk of the legendary forward receiving preferential treatment. On Tuesday, Martinez held a press conference at the Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras to unveil a 27-player list for the upcoming tournament, the extra spot accounting for a backup goalkeeper in case of injury. The spotlight, however, fell squarely on Ronaldo, who is now set to appear at his sixth World Cup, a record he is expected to share with Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa. When asked directly about managing a 41-year-old Ronaldo during the tournament, Martínez was measured and clear in his response. “The management will be handled very naturally. We already have plenty of data; we are talking about nearly 40 matches together. Ronaldo is our captain. He faces the same demands as the other players and the same competitiveness to be in the national team,” the Spanish coach said. Martínez also made a point of emphasizing Ronaldo’s value beyond his performances on the pitch. “He is an exemplary captain. He was highly important for us in winning the Nations League, and now we want that same level of responsibility and example inside the locker room,” he added. Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal lifts the UEFA Nations League trophy. It is worth noting that despite being in the twilight of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the top scorer under Roberto Martinez’s watch with Portugal. Across the 38 games Martinez has overseen, the Selecao have scored 109 goals, with Ronaldo contributing 25 of them in 30 appearances, nearly a quarter of the total, having sat out eight games for various reasons. What’s next for Portugal? Martinez announced that Portugal’s World Cup training camp will begin on June 1, with all players granted at least seven days of rest before reporting for duty at the Cidade do Futebol. The PSG contingent of Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Goncalo Ramos, who are set to feature in the UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal on May 30th, will miss the start of the camp. Portugal will play two preparatory friendlies during the early June window, the first against Chile on the 6th and the second against Nigeria on the 10th, both to be held on home soil before the squad departs for North America. Drawn into Group K, Portugal will be based in Palm Beach, Florida, opening their World Cup campaign on June 17 against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston. They will then face debutants Uzbekistan on June 23 before closing out the group stage against Colombia on June 27.