Portugal Coach Keeps Ronaldo's Role Under Wraps: 'We've Identified Mistakes'

Portugal found themselves under fire after a surprising 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo in their opening Group K fixture. The primary target of criticism was 41-year-old Ronaldo, who was the most frequent focus of the team's offensive efforts. Ahead of the second match, the debate emerged whether the player himself should start on the bench.

"I cannot comment on anything regarding the starting lineup because I haven't discussed it with my players. I don't want to communicate anything publicly that hasn't been discussed with them. Nothing has changed; we've identified where we made mistakes and what needs to be changed. No team plays a perfect opening match," Martinez was quoted as saying by DPA.

Portugal will face Uzbekistan on Tuesday, June 23rd, at 7:00 PM.