‘It makes no sense' - Portugal manager defends leaving Ronaldo on the pitch against DR Congo

Ronaldo’s goal drought continued following a frustrating 1-1 draw against Congo DR on Wednesday.

The draw marked the fifth consecutive World Cup match and the tenth straight major tournament game in which Ronaldo has failed to score from open play. 

The superstar has not found the net with a non-penalty goal in a World Cup or European Championship since June 19, 2021.

Despite playing the full 90 minutes, Ronaldo managed only three shots, none of which were on target. 

This was the sixth time the Al Nassr forward has finished a World Cup match without a single shot on goal. 

Nevertheless, Martinez made it clear that substituting his captain was never a consideration. "It makes no sense to get the best goal scorer in world football out in a game that you need goals," Martinez stated.

Ronaldo, Portugal's all-time leading scorer with 143 international goals, joined Argentina's Lionel Messi as only the second man to play in six World Cups. 

However, his attempt to become the first player to score in six different tournaments will have to wait.

Martinez attributed Portugal's struggles to a drop in intensity after João Neves gave them an early lead in the sixth minute. Following the goal, Portugal only registered six more shots for the remainder of the match.