Roberto Martinez has insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo is "still as hungry for goals as an 18-year-old" despite his ineffective showing against Iceland.
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Portugal beat Iceland 2-0
Ronaldo drew a blank
Martinez has no doubts over his quality
WHAT HAPPENED?
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, with Ronaldo enduring a frustrating evening in the final third of the pitch.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Ronaldo was largely ineffective against Iceland and 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.
WHAT ROBERTO MARTINEZ SAID
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.
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WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?
Ronaldo will now return to club duty with Al-Nassr, who currently sit second in the Saudi Pro League table. The Portugal captain will be in line to start when Luis Castro's team take on Al-Akhdoud on Friday, and will be hoping to add to his haul of 13 goals in the 2023-24 competition.