Portugal’s national soccer coach Roberto Martínez believes superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is still insatiable even at the age of 41.
“I always thought that the body ends a career. I’ve learned: It’s the head. And Ronaldo’s head isn’t ready yet. Ronaldo still has an appetite,” the Spaniard told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Ronaldo still wants to get “better every day” – as a team player, as Martínez emphasized. “It doesn’t matter to him whether he ends up with 999 or 1001 goals. I’ve seen him give away penalties to colleagues. Or he gave an assist from a promising position instead of shooting on goal,” he said.
Martínez described Ronaldo as an “elevator talking point” because of his popularity. Why? “When you get into an elevator, you can talk about the weather – or about Cristiano. He is an icon and a historical reference. A player who changed the history of football. And who I respect simply because he dedicated more than 20 years of his career to the national team.”
Martínez, who coached the Belgian national team from 2016 to 2022, also had praise for national coach Julian Nagelsmann. “I like the football he suggests: attacking football, high intensity, playing as close to the opponent’s goal as possible, having as many players as possible in the final third… It’s very easy to recognize a Nagelsmann team, even since his time at RB Leipzig. I like that,” he said.
