Ronaldo judged on form not age as Portugal weigh World Cup role, says Martinez

LISBON, May 15 : Cristiano Ronaldo is 41, but Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said age is only a number and that his captain is judged on current form and by the same standards as everyone else.

Ronaldo could play in a sixth World Cup with this year's tournament in North America set to begin in less than a month, a staggering possibility even for a player who has twisted football’s record books into new shapes.

Yet Martinez, speaking to Reuters in Lisbon on Thursday, insisted Portugal were not carrying a monument to past glory.

"We manage the Cristiano Ronaldo that plays for the national team trying to get into the squad for 2026, not the iconic figure," Martinez said.

The debate in Portugal is less whether Ronaldo, the record scorer in international football with 143 goals, belongs in the squad and more what his role should be when World Cup margins are razor-thin.

For Martinez, the calculation is simple. Ronaldo the player is assessed on what he does in training and for the team.

"Age is only a number," Martinez said. "Certainly in the national team we can measure exactly what's happening on the day, and you make the decisions for the next day. You never look any longer than the next day."

HOW TO USE RONALDO?

On the question of how to use Ronaldo at a World Cup where matches swing on substitutions, tactical shifts and games that stretch into extra time and penalties, Martinez argued modern football has moved past treating the starting lineup as the only measure of status.

"Now we've got five substitutions. It's almost like we've got a starting team and a finishing team. There is no distinction," he said. "There are different roles and Cristiano has always accepted his role."

The question of whether Ronaldo would accept a