18.6.2026
Former Manchester United legendary keeper Peter Schmeichel said Portugal will not make any impact at the World Cup with Roberto Martinez as their coach.
The Dane who was reacting to Portugal’s struggles to put away Congo DR in their group opener which ended 1-1 on Wednesday said Martinez was wasting Portugal talents like he did with Belgium.
“Roberto Martínez has to be one of the most disappointing coaches of this World Cup so far. He wasted Belgium’s golden generation, and now it seems the same thing is happening with Portugal,” said Schmeichel.
“How can you leave players like Joao Felix and Rafael Leao on the bench while maintaining a system that clearly isn’t working? Portugal has too much attacking talent to appear so predictable and cautious,” Schmeichel questioned. He further noted that the team’s balance was fundamentally flawed, stating: “His tactics are too conservative. The attack lacks creativity, the midfield often seems disconnected, and his substitutions usually come too late to change the game.”
Also former Irish international Tony Cascarino faulted Martinez’s selection and tactics.
“I’m trying to be as kind as I can… but he [Ronaldo] was really off it. And he just looks like time has caught up with him. He hasn’t got the pace. He’s not even got the energy to pick up the ball,” Cascarino told talkSPORT.
“He offered nothing to the Portuguese team. I can’t believe Martinez has kept him on. I’m thinking, ‘This is your job – does he just want to keep friends with Ronaldo? Do you want to stay on his side?’ You’ve got to take people off.”
However former French striker Zinadine Zidane defended Ronaldo’s peformance.
“I don’t have much to say about Portugal, but one thing is very clear: there are bigger problems than Cristiano Ronaldo playing 90 minutes or his age.
“What I saw was a team full of talented players who are not willing to sacrifice enough for the country. Too many of them play like club players, not national team players.
“Look at the great teams in this tournament. They fight for each other, they suffer together, and they do everything to help their leader. I didn’t see that hunger from Portugal.
“People say they have the best midfield in the tournament because of what those players do at their clubs, but football is about what you do together. Against Congo, they kept passing the ball between themselves without creating real danger.
“If Ronaldo received ten clear chances and missed them, then blame him. But when neither he nor the other strikers get service, the problem is elsewhere.”