Martínez refuses to confirm Ronaldo's place after Portugal's opening draw with Congo

Roberto Martínez refused to confirm whether Cristiano Ronaldo will keep his starting place for Portugal’s World Cup group match against Uzbekistan on Tuesday, after the 41-year-old struggled in a 1-1 draw with Congo in the tournament opener.

“I can’t inform you about the starting 11 because I haven’t informed my players,” Martínez said on Monday when pressed directly on Ronaldo’s status. The Portugal coach acknowledged the scrutiny surrounding his side but insisted it would not affect the squad’s preparation. “We are playing a World Cup so of course we have a lot of noise and tension, but it’s part of the game. The focus is on the team and we want to show a positive attitude … to be ready for the match. We are very much focused. We are strong. The team is even more united than before.”

Ronaldo managed just 25 touches against Congo and squandered a pair of good chances in the second half, drawing criticism from television pundits and social media alike. Questions were also raised about why Martínez chose not to substitute him as Portugal laboured offensively. Without naming Ronaldo directly, the coach pushed back on the backlash, calling some of it “unfair” and “unjust.”

Ronaldo did not speak to reporters after the game but addressed the result twice on social media. “It wasn’t the start we wanted, but this is far from over,” he wrote after the draw. A day later, he posted training photographs with the caption: “Focused on the mission.”

Despite the underwhelming opener, Martínez retained his faith in Ronaldo’s ability to unlock defences. “Cristiano is the best one to do that,” he said. “The numbers support this of this iconic player. If you look at the past 32 games, he is the player that has extra movement opening spaces and finding pockets.”

Ronaldo enters Tuesday’s match chasing a slice of history. He and Argentina’s Lionel Messi became the only men to appear in six World Cups this year, and Ronaldo is still seeking to become the first player to score in six editions of the tournament. Messi currently leads the all-time World Cup scoring chart with 18 goals across five tournaments — including five in two matches this year — while Ronaldo remains without a goal in this edition.

Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro, despite Portugal’s difficult start, warned his players not to take Ronaldo lightly. “We need to be careful when we are in the box because we cannot leave this kind of player alone,” the former Italy defender said. “Cristiano can score in every situation — free kicks, even in the corner. So we need to be very careful.”