Cristiano Ronaldo is clearly aware that his career is coming to an end. The Portuguese footballer is already 41 years old and preparing for his final World Cup appearance, but Portuguese coach Roberto Martinez has made it clear that CR7 is still far from retirement at this point.
Roberto Martinez has more than considered Ronaldo for the World Cup and hopes he can lead his team to the top trophy. To do that, it is important to get CR7 in top form and the coach sees him in very good form and guarantees that he will continue to do so.
Portugal national team coach predicts when Cristiano Ronaldo will retire
Manager Roberto Martinez was asked about Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation in an interview with the BBC, and he had nothing but praise for the former Real Madrid player.
“He is a true example of what you have to do to represent Portugal and the national team. And now he is clearly adapting. After 21 years with the national team, he has adapted,” Martínez explained.
Regarding Ronaldo’s retirement, the manager made it clear that it is still a long way off.
Well, the statistics are all there. This is not the case when it comes to analyzing players who are physically declining. His physical status is such that he can continue to play an active role in the future. I think it’s more about when he felt it was the right time.
“I think he is a player who is very critical of himself. When he decides that he can no longer help the team, he is the one who decides when to leave,” Martinez added.
Roberto Martinez talks about criticism of keeping Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad
Martínez sees CR7 as a player who can continue to contribute to the Portuguese national team, but he has also received a lot of criticism for naming the striker due to his age. The coach answered my questions very clearly.
“He’s a goalscorer, he’s an important player for us, and what’s important to me is the current player. As a national coach, as a player who has scored 25 goals in the last 30 international matches… he’s not playing for what he’s done in the past, he’s playing for what he’s doing now,” Martinez said.
Cristiano is preparing to take part in another World Cup with the confidence of his coach like never before and hopes this will be his moment of victory. Perhaps if that happens, CR7 will retire with the only trophy he is missing.
