‘Ronaldo needs to be saved from himself’ - Ex-Man United star urges Portugal to bench CR7

The draw in Houston has put Martinez under pressure, with critics questioning his decision not to substitute his captain despite an ineffective display. 

The manager has been accused of allowing his personal relationship with the Al-Nassr forward to cloud his judgment as the team struggled to find a breakthrough.

Following a lacklustre performance in Portugal's opening match, a debate has erupted over the 41-year-old's role in the team. 

Saha, a former teammate of Ronaldo's, believes the legendary forward needs to be "saved from himself" to help his country's chances of success.

After a frustrating 1-1 draw with DR Congo, Saha suggested that Ronaldo's drive to compete with younger stars like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe is hindering manager Roberto Martinez's game plan.

"Cristiano Ronaldo needs to be saved from himself, because Cristiano is always going to be in competition with [Erling] Haaland, [Kylian] Mbappe, and [Lionel] Messi," Saha said, speaking via Casinolyze.

 "He wants to play every minute to break records, that's his mentality and we understand that."

Saha acknowledged Ronaldo's impressive fitness but stressed the need for tactical flexibility. "Portugal needs a high tempo. They want to press and have the energy level at the very top, that will involve making changes," he explained. 

"Sometimes he has provided a solution for that... But he will find that during some games, it will feel hard for him."