Recent discussions have brought into focus both Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance during the 2026 World Cup, particularly against Spain, and Roberto Martinez’s managerial career, notably his time with the Belgium national team. Both figures have been subject to commentary regarding their impact and decisions on the international stage.
At the 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo recorded his second-fewest touches in a World Cup match he started, with just 19 touches against Spain. This particular display against Spain contributed to a broader assessment of his role throughout the tournament. Across the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo took 17 shots at goal, marking the most shots at a single edition of the Fifa World Cup without creating a single chance for someone else. Mexico’s Alberto Garcia Aspe previously held this record, taking 15 shots without providing for a teammate in 1998.
Despite playing all but nine minutes of Portugal’s five games in the tournament, some 366 players touched the ball more times than Ronaldo at the 2026 World Cup. During matches where the team needed to fight for an equaliser, Ronaldo was described as ‘a passenger, a virtual non-combatant’. While acknowledging his desire for opportunity, a commentator suggested that ‘a bit of self reflection and a doze of humility would have helped the team more if he had chosen an off field spectator role’.
Former England striker Wayne Rooney offered a different perspective on Ronaldo’s standing. Rooney stated, ‘How can anyone seriously feel this is legitimate. He has been the world’s best player five times, won everything many times over wherever he has gone, and the bitterness/jealousy in England about him is incredible!’ Rooney further praised him as ‘a genius, a superstar’.
Roberto Martinez’s Tenure with Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ Examined
Attention has also turned to Roberto Martinez, the Spanish manager whose career trajectory has drawn significant commentary. Martinez, formerly boss at Swansea, Wigan, and Everton, managed Belgium from 2016 to 2022 before taking on the Portugal job in 2023.
His period with Belgium saw the team reach the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, where they were defeated by France. However, under his leadership, Belgium then exited the tournament in the group stages of 2022. Critics have stated that Martinez ‘wasted Belgium’s golden generation’ and ‘made a mess of Belgium when they had an opportunity of really doing great things with that golden generation; they ended up Belgian buffoons’.
One commentator remarked, ‘I’ve never seen a manager fail upwards as well as Roberto Martinez. Won the FA Cup with Wigan, then disappointed with Everton, wasted Belgium’s golden generation, and then somehow got the Portugal job.’
Managerial Performance and Future Decisions
The management style of Roberto Martinez has been widely scrutinised. According to one assessment, ‘His job was to try and win the World Cup and put the best team out for Portugal.’ The same commentator emphatically stated, ‘Has he done that? Absolutely not.’ They described his management as ‘scandalous’ and suggested ‘it was pathetic to see a manager act in that manner’ with Portugal, drawing parallels to his earlier ‘mess of Belgium’.
Martinez did achieve success with Portugal, winning the Nations League last year. However, he is now set to leave his position after Portugal’s recent World Cup exit. Martinez himself stated his objective, explaining, ‘I came to Portugal with the objective of winning the World Cup and because I haven’t won it wouldn’t make sense to continue.’
Looking ahead, the discussion around Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career continues. Despite his performance in 2026, some find it ‘astonishing that people actually think this was Ronaldo’s last World Cup’. Speculation suggests he could still feature in future tournaments, with comments indicating he is ‘not a chance’ to sit out a home World Cup in 2030 or one in his adopted home in 2034, believing ‘he can still win it’.