On August 20, 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo played for the Portuguese national team for the first time, in a friendly match against Kazakhstan. So in five months, the account is simple, striker Al Nassr will celebrate two decades of international play. And he will, minus injury, as captain and leader of his team, a condition that has been questioned after the last World Cup, but Roberto Martinez He has solidly consolidated in two games. First coach of the Portuguese team.
The March international break is over for Portugal, after a more reasonable amount of time to start qualifying for Euro 2024. Last Thursday, they beat Liechtenstein (4-0) and on Sunday, they did the same at home against Luxembourg (0-6), two teams from the caboose of European football. In both matches, Cristiano started, captained and scored.
Cristiano's match record
For the first time, he took a new step in his career, filled with it, becoming the most capped player in history with a total of 198 games. If he isn't prepared for an injury or some other unforeseen event, Cristiano will hit a well-rounded figure in June that for weeks seemed like a pipe dream.
Because Cristiano, it's convenient don't forget, he got a lot of attention during the World Cup in Qatar. The coach at the time, Fernando Santos, decided to put him on the bench in the round of 16, after a poor performance in the first period and a rare uncomfortable atmosphere in the dressing room. The gamble paid off, with his replacement Gonçalo Ramos scoring three goals, so much so that he decided to repeat it in the quarter-finals, where Portugal were eliminated by Morocco.
Everything that happened in Doha, as well as the decision to close a chapter of European football to be seduced by the oil dollars of Saudi Arabia, One has the feeling that Cristiano's cycle in the team has ended in the end, he was 38 years old. Only Santos' pre-announced departure left room for a suspicion that finally came true.
The appearance of Roberto Martinez
because it was Spaniard Roberto Martinez who took control of Portugal without time to digest his painful ending in Belgium. And one of the first things Martínez did was travel to Saudi Arabia to speak directly with the captain of his new team. A conclave which reaffirmed him as leader of Portugal announced that he had participated in his scheme.
“Cristiano's experience at the international level is unique. He is a benchmark for the dressing room, he is ready to lead and be the captain of this team. He has a record of international matches in the world and that gives us experience which is very important. Young people They want to prove their worth and the role of players like Cristiano is to bring experience," the technician said a few days ago. 'Bob' Martínez' stance comes as no surprise as his CV there leaves pertinent clues that he will continue to bet on Cristiano. During his time in Belgium, he continued to trust the most veterans in the dressing room until the last minute such as central defenders Vertonghen and Alderweireld or Atlético midfielder Witsel.
Roberto Martinez and Hazard
But most of all, he acted as a solid defender for Eden Hazard in his moments of decline.
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