Roberto Martinez can’t get enough of Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal defeats Croatia
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 900th career goal sealed a 2-1 win for Portugal over Croatia in the Nations League, with Roberto Martinez hailing the “historic moment”.
The 39-year-old scored the landmark goal in the 34th minute, and it eventually proved to be the winner; Diogo Dalot opened the scoring but then handed Croatia a lifeline with an own goal just before the break.
Ronaldo’s close-range strike was his 131st for Portugal in 213 appearances, with both of those records for any male player on the international stage.
Martinez showed his faith by keeping Ronaldo in his squad despite an underwhelming Euro 2024 campaign in which he failed to score and was delighted to see the forward hit his latest milestone.
“It’s a historic moment. 900 goals is incredible,” Martinez said.
“It’s not easy. He scores because he has a commitment to the national team, the work in training that no one can see, he has an energy to help the youngsters, and the commitment is an asset to the national team.
“It’s a historic moment, the fans liked it, and being on the day of the tribute to Pepe is special. It’s fantastic for Portuguese football, the World Cup and the national team.”
Midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who also played with Ronaldo during his return to Manchester United, echoed his head coach’s praise for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“I thought we had already stopped counting,” Fernandes joked. “At least we’ve stopped counting, he hasn’t.
“He likes to tell them, and I believe it’s a very special number for him, and we are all very happy for him too because it’s not just Cristiano.
“In addition to being Cristiano, he raises the name of our nation to the highest level as he has done all these years, and this is another record, another normality in his life.”
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