Roberto Martinez explains why he surprisingly benched Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal super-sub scores late winner against Scotland

The all-time great was on target for his country in their 2-1 win over Croatia – taking him to 900 career efforts as more history was made. Ronaldo was then named among the substitutes when Portugal returned to action in Lisbon.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was required in the end, as he was introduced at half-time with Portugal trailing Scotland 1-0. Ronaldo made another decisive contribution, as he netted an 88th-minute winner, and remains a talismanic presence despite questions being asked of his value at 39 years of age.

Quizzed on why Ronaldo was not involved from the start against the Scots, Portugal boss Martinez told reporters: “Cristiano is in a good moment. It's September, he's played three games, he's scored for his club. We need to protect all the players. Cristiano can't play two 90-minute games in 72 hours. Today the important thing was that, if he needed to be on the pitch, it was to finish the game and not to start. I really liked his commitment, he's ready to do what the team needs and be decisive once again.”

Martinez has shut down any suggestion that Portugal are “dependent” on Ronaldo, but he clearly has an important role to play as captain of his nation. He has hinted at prolonging his career for a few more years – as he chases down 1,000 goals – and is expected to reach the next World Cup finals in 2026.