"He lives day to day like a young player playing for the first time,"
"The way he dedicates himself, the freshness he has every day. He's a winner. He's hungry to be the best."
"The World Cup? He's doing the best he can, he doesn't have long-term goals,"
"What it means to wear the [Portugal] jersey is the captain's message in the locker room; it helps a lot."
Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, scored twice in Portugal's 5-0 win at Armenia to extend his international tally to 140 goals. Portugal coach Roberto Martinez praised Ronaldo's daily dedication, freshness and winner mentality, saying he approaches each day like a young player. Ronaldo recently signed with Al Nassr through June 2027 and led Portugal to the UEFA Nations League title. He has scored more than 900 career goals, won five Ballon d'Or awards, and finished as Saudi Pro League top scorer with 25 goals last season. The 2026 World Cup represents his final chance to win the one major trophy missing from his career. Martinez emphasized Ronaldo's day-to-day focus and captaincy influence on the squad.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]