Cristiano Ronaldo got off to a hot start to the September international break with Portugal, reaching 900 career goals thanks to his strike against Croatia on Matchday 1 of the 2024 UEFA Nations League. But the star will be taking a back seat today.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has decided to bench Ronaldo for today’s match against Scotland, but fans will probably get to see CR7 come on later in the game, as the manager suggested.
Speaking to the media before the game, Martinez explained Ronaldo is not starting today to manage the striker’s workload and let him finish the match. Even though he keeps on breaking records, Cristiano is not getting any younger.
“Cristiano is our leader and he knows that it is very important to have a player like him to finish the game,” Martinez said. “It is important to be able to manage the effort and use more players. Today we have four new players, two others have played 45 minutes in this competition. It is important to manage the effort well and that is part of it for us, Cristiano is a player who has done great for Croatia, it is important to protect him.”
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates scoring the team’s first penalty in the penalty shoot out during the UEFA EURO 2024 quarter-final match between Portugal and France at Volksparkstadion on July 05, 2024 in Hamburg, Germany.
Portugal’s starting lineup vs Scotland: Diogo Costa; Nuno Mendes, Ruben Dias, Antonio Silva, Nelson Semedo; Palhinha, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva; Rafael Leao, Diogo Jota, Neto.
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Ronaldo shared thoughs on being a substitute at Portugal
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the September international window, Ronaldo made it clear to the press he has no problem with coming off the bench for Portugal as long as there’s professional ethic from the coaching staff.
“I will always have the idea that I will be a starter, and I will always respect the coach. When there is professional ethics, I will respect the coaches. If I deviate from the ethics, there may be controversy,” Ronaldo said.
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“When I feel I am not adding value, I am the first to leave. I know what I can do and I will continue to do it. I think it has been positive overall. There is no need for people to give their opinions. It will not be a difficult decision to make. We have the example of Pepe, who left through the big door.”
Ronaldo knows the age factor is starting to question his future with the national team, but he has no intention of stepping away anytime soon. It might be too early to tell whether Cristiano plans to play in the 2026 World Cup, but in the meantime, the veteran striker enjoys to continue representing his country.
