Roberto Martinez has insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo is “still as hungry for goals as an 18-year-old” despite his ineffective showing against Iceland.
Portugal finished their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a perfect record after beating Iceland 2-0 in their final fixture on Sunday.
Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Ricardo Horta gave Martinez’s side all three points.
However, Ronaldo appears to be enduring a frustrating evening in the final third of the pitch.
Indeed, Cristiano Ronaldo was largely ineffective against Iceland.
He missed a golden chance from three yards out before Horta tapped in the rebound to wrap up Portugal’s victory.
Still, the 38-year-old striker did manage to hit 10 goals through his nine appearances in the Group J qualifiers, and Martinez is confident that he hasn’t lost his edge.
Quizzed on Ronaldo’s performance after the game, Portugal boss Martinez told reporters: “Cristiano Ronaldo is as hungry as an 18-year-old player.
“He is a role model; he always tries to be in the right position and is looking for the goal”.
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The respect the Portugal squad has for Ronaldo was underlined by a gesture from Roma goalkeeper Rui Patricio after the final whistle.
As per The Sun, The Al-Nassr star gave away his shirt to an opposition player and substitute Patricio then offered him his coat to stay warm.
