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Benfica boss José Mourinho has stepped up to defend one of his most celebrated former players, Cristiano Ronaldo, arguing that the Portugal national side appears entirely average without him.
Portugal is among the 42 nations that have secured their spot at this summer's World Cup, with Ronaldo netting five times during qualifying.
He has accumulated a world-record 226 international appearances and found the net an impressive 143 times, continuing to deliver goals deep into the later stages of his career. Nevertheless, questions have been raised about whether manager Roberto Martínez should consider moving on from Ronaldo.
Should he participate in North America this summer, Ronaldo will rank as the fourth-oldest player in World Cup history at 41 years old. Yet Mourinho continues to champion the five-time Ballon d'Or recipient as the cornerstone of the Seleção das Quinas' ambitions.
Mourinho Believes Ronaldo is Still Crucial for Portugal
One person who firmly believes Martínez cannot afford to leave the all-time great behind heading into the World Cup is Mourinho, who witnessed his compatriot at his very best during his tenure at Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013.
"Remove Cristiano Ronaldo from the equation and Portugal look like any ordinary side," he stated (via beIN SPORTS) after Mexico held the Iberians to a drab, scoreless draw in their first match of 2026.
"People keep telling us not to call him up. Well, he didn't play, and you saw what happened. No danger, no respect from the opposition. Just a team being put under the cosh by Mexico.
"When Ronaldo is on the field, opponents think carefully. Without him, they don't think at all," Mourinho continued.
The 41-year-old is currently sidelined with a muscle problem and unavailable for international duty this month. In his absence, Martínez turned to Paris Saint-Germain's Gonçalo Ramos to spearhead Portugal's attack, though he was substituted before the hour mark by Paulinho, a 33-year-old forward with only four senior caps to his name.
A Portugal side without Ronaldo is anticipated to fare better against the USMNT on Tuesday evening, with Mauricio Pochettino's team still licking their wounds following a second-half implosion against Belgium that ended in a 5–2 defeat.
Martínez Expects Ronaldo to Play at World Cup
Despite Ronaldo's current injury absence, Portugal head coach Martínez is optimistic that the 41-year-old will be available for the national team this summer and feature at his sixth World Cup.
He echoed Mourinho's sentiment that Ronaldo remains an enormously important figure within the squad: "He is our captain and is very important, very influential. He still plays a fundamental role as captain. The way he finishes, his mentality, he inspires. I don't know when the end will come.
"He's not a 41-year-old player; he's a player who tries to improve every day. He's a stimulus off the pitch and on the pitch, a striker who has scored 25 goals in the last 30 games," Martínez remarked.
Ronaldo had been at risk of missing Portugal's opening two matches of the tournament after receiving a red card for violent conduct against the Republic of Ireland last November.
However, FIFA predictably chose to suspend the final two games of his ban, replacing them with a one-year probationary period, meaning he will be eligible for their group stage clashes against Jamaica or the DR Congo and Uzbekistan.