Martinez talks about Ronaldo: We should not focus on the last World Cup, but on the fact that he has participated in 5

C Ronaldo confirmed in a previous interview that the 2026 World Cup will be his last World Cup. At the pre-match press conference before Portugal played against Ireland in the World Cup preliminaries, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez talked about Ronaldo.

Q: Do you feel doubly responsible because this is Ronaldo’s last World Cup?

Martinez: "We have discussed this many, many times. For the coaching staff, the focus is always on the next step, and our goal is to win the next game to ensure qualification. The focus should not be on a player's last World Cup, but on the five tournaments he has participated in. I said it on the day the squad was announced - discussing the World Cup and looking forward has become almost taboo. What we are now talking about is the game against Ireland, and we have to go all out to deliver a good answer."