“You get into an elevator and the conversation is about the weather or about Ronaldo”

With 75 days until the World Cup kicks off, Roberto Martínez is preparing the National Team for their first two warm-up matches against co-hosts Mexico and the United States. The Spanish coach, leading a squad brimming with stars, including one of the greatest of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, openly embraces the ambition of clinching the coveted trophy.

Drawing inspiration from a historic quote by Otto Glória before the 1966 World Cup, Martínez adopts an optimistic philosophy. “He said: ‘Let us dream,’ and I find that adorable. Why not embrace the expectation now? Build hope? Why not take on that responsibility? If people believe this team can go far, let's go with it,” he stated in an interview with The Guardian.

The national team coach expressed his fascination with the country's football culture. “Portugal is a football school. Ten million people, yet they fill the best locker rooms in the world,” he praised. Martínez highlighted the Portuguese “navigator” mentality, “ready to set off, learn languages, open-minded, and looking towards Europe,” which contributes to a development that makes them “ultra-competitive, but respectful.”

The coach also lauded Portugal's youth development structure, which allows for exemplary talent progression. “The structure means that from ages 15 to 23, there are eight players per position following the same elite methodology. Pedro Neto, Vitinha, João Neves, and Renato Veiga have all made it into the starting XI since we arrived: that level of development is exemplary,” he explained.

Roberto Martínez also discussed his relationship with the players and Cristiano Ronaldo's importance to the team, emphasizing that decisions regarding the captain are based on his current performance, not his historical past. When asked how many players named CR7 as an idol, Martínez smiled, admitting some did, though he couldn't recall who. The coach highlighted the captain's longevity and impact.

“It's so, so special, unique, to have a player who has given 21 years to the national team.” Martínez used the example of Carlos Forbs, the Club Brugge winger, who “was born in 2004, when Ronaldo was already in the national team,” to illustrate how younger generations are inspired by what the forward “gives every day.”

Despite a muscle injury sidelining Ronaldo from the upcoming friendlies, Martínez is confident that the two-week break is no cause for concern. The coach revealed that upon visiting the player, he wanted to know how he felt, noting that, unlike other players over 30 who might view international breaks as a rest, Ronaldo's attitude is always one of complete availability: “'I'm here for the national team, for whatever you need.'”

Martínez rejected the notion that he should have started a new era in the national team by sidelining the captain. “No, no,” he stated, disagreeing with the premise. For the coach, the debate surrounding Ronaldo is inevitable, but often based on outdated perceptions. “We have to accept that there's a debate, because there's only one Ronaldo, a historic icon who changed football. You get into an elevator and the conversation is about the weather or about Ronaldo,” he commented.

“The biggest mistake people make is not analyzing him today. After the Euros, people said: ‘Portugal didn't win because Cristiano is playing.’ We win the Nations League and it's: ‘What will Portugal do when Ronaldo retires?’” The coach believes that a player's retirement is a mental decision, not a physical one, and that “Cristiano's mind hasn't made that decision at 40, 41 years old.”

Martínez sees Ronaldo today as “a number 9, in the box,” fundamental for “creating space and scoring goals,” and not as the Manchester United or Real Madrid winger. His recent numbers for the National Team, with 25 goals in 30 games, are proof of his merit. “I evaluate talent, experience, today's attitude, and decisions are never made in an office; they are made on the pitch, it's football that makes them,” he asserted.

Looking ahead, particularly to the World Cup, Martínez emphasized the importance of building a resilient team. “A winning team is built. You have to manage difficult moments,” he stated, adding that the mistake can be “not taking the risk, the responsibility.” The goal is to create an environment where the group protects the individual, even in the face of an error that “can mark a career.”

The Spanish coach dismissed the idea of anxiety surrounding winning the World Cup, preferring to speak of “enthusiasm and hope.” “That makes the Portuguese people feel good,” he concluded, acknowledging, however, the difficulty of the task: “We know we've never won the World Cup, that tells us it's difficult.”

Martínez stressed the importance of maintaining a dreaming attitude, despite recognizing the difficulties of football. “We know that things can change quickly, that talent alone is not enough, that small details can work against us, and of course, it's a hard blow when you don't succeed, but let us dream. I think we can. And that's the attitude I want our team to have,” he concluded.

Roberto Martínez, the national coach, revealed a curious side by admitting his fondness for numerology, using it as a motivational factor for the Portuguese team. The Spanish coach, while claiming not to be superstitious, finds a reason to believe in numbers.

“I'm not superstitious, but I like numerology. And this with me being born on July 13th,” confessed Martínez, who views the date, a Friday, positively, contrary to the idea of bad luck associated with it in England. “In England, they always said: 'Wow, how unlucky!', 'What a day'. No! I like it,” he said with a laugh.

The coach extended his reasoning to historical milestones in Portuguese football, drawing parallels with the number six. “It's charming to think about Euro 2016... Eusébio: top scorer in '66, Ballon d'Or in '65... 60 years since his World Cup. 2026. It's all sixes. Let's dream. Why not?” he questioned.