Martinez concedes Portugal's 'frustration' as Ronaldo starter debate intensifies at World Cup

Roberto Martinez has admitted Portugal are carrying a “feeling of frustration” after their World Cup campaign began with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo, with the debate over Cristiano Ronaldo’s place in the starting XI showing no sign of quieting.

Yoane Wissa’s equaliser cancelled out Joao Neves’ opener to leave Portugal — among the pre-tournament favourites — with a single point from their opening game. Ronaldo, 41, led the line at his sixth World Cup but missed several chances to restore Portugal’s lead, extending his scoreless run at major tournaments to ten games. Critics argue his style of play is limiting the effectiveness of the squad around him.

Martinez, however, stood by his captain. “He’s an example, as a captain and he’s reacted as a captain, with a lot of experience,” the Portugal head coach said. “He wants to contribute, and he’s a role model for our team. He’s probably the biggest example of how to recover, how to train. But that doesn’t take away the feeling of frustration we all have, as a team.”

The manager insisted the squad remains cohesive ahead of Tuesday’s Group fixture against Uzbekistan in Houston. “We’re playing a World Cup, of course there’s a lot of noise, a lot of tension, it’s part of the game,” Martinez said. “Our focus is on the team. We’re more united than before we arrived. There’s no tension.”

Former Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo was more candid in his assessment of the DR Congo performance. “We didn’t create chances, and that isn’t normal in a team like ours,” he said. “We have high quality players, among the best in the world, and we have to show that on the pitch. Tomorrow, only winning counts. We don’t have any margin for error.”

Neves, whose goal gave Portugal the lead, also found himself at the centre of controversy after post-match comments in which he described Ronaldo as “just another player, here to help” — a remark that drew significant backlash online.

With Uzbekistan representing a far more manageable opponent on paper, anything less than a win in Houston would intensify scrutiny on both Martinez’s tactics and his continued faith in Ronaldo as a starter.