'We are better with Cristiano Ronaldo' - Robert Martinez sends out clear message after Portugal seal 2026 World Cup spot in style without suspended captain

Ronaldo was sent off during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. Having swung an elbow into Dara O’Shea, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was given his marching orders. He was released early from Martinez’s squad as a result.

The all-time great was left watching on from afar as Portugal crushed Armenia 9-1 in a must-win fixture. They knew that victory would see them book tickets to FIFA’s flagship in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Ronaldo has vowed to grace that competition, as he prepares to take part in the sixth World Cup of his remarkable career, with the evergreen 40-year-old ready to add to his tallies of 226 caps and 143 international goals.

Questions have been asked for some time about whether Portugal need to remain so loyal to Ronaldo - as he now plies his trade in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr - but Martinez is adamant that the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star will be an important part of his plans in 2026.

Martinez told reporters after seeing Portugal hit nine without CR7: “We are better with Ronaldo, Nuno Mendes and Pedro Neto. The most important thing is that football is a game of mistakes, of difficulties, of resilience, and when some players aren't there, we have to find a way to win. I think the important thing is to have all the important players, but also to have confidence and a clear idea that we can win when certain players aren't in the starting XI.”

Plans can now begin in earnest for another shot at global glory, with Martinez looking forward to discovering who Portugal will be lined up against in the group stage. He added: “Preparation is important, let all the fans enjoy the draw. The preparation day is important, the training camp in March will be very important to prepare for the World Cup.”

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Portugal delivered the perfect response to their frustrating outing against Ireland, with Bruno Fernandes netting a hat-trick in a convincing win over Armenia. Martinez said when assessing how his side have fared in their last two fixtures: “I think the first idea is that we played to be better than Armenia, to try to win and use the strength of the fans. In Ireland we were anxious, we played to qualify for the World Cup and that's very difficult. Against Hungary we were qualified, then we were out and that was difficult to manage.

“Today I really liked the players' reaction, we analysed the work done in Ireland and today we saw the team very committed, united and that's what changed. Psychologically, it was my first defeat in 43 qualifying matches for European and World Championships and I realised that it wasn't the tactical or physical aspect, it was the psychological aspect of playing with the idea of losing the qualification instead of playing to win.”

Ronaldo is the kind of character that always plays to win, which continues to make him so important to the Portugal cause. He has been quick to point out that he does not need a World Cup triumph in order to cement his legacy - given all that has already been achieved.

He will, however, be determined to emulate the achievements of eternal rival Lionel Messi - who inspired Argentina to a global crown at Qatar 2022. Hoisting the most prestigious of trophies aloft would allow Ronaldo to complete his medal collection and to-do list - with the expectation being that he will reach 1,000 career goals at some point in the not too distant future.

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