Portugal national football team coach Roberto Martinez denies the claims cristiano ronaldo Chasing the milestone of 1,000 career goals, insists the experienced striker remains driven by team success rather than personal milestones.ronaldoThe striker, who has scored more than 950 goals in his career and continues to be a leading figure for Portugal and Al Nasr, is currently recovering from a muscle injury that has kept him sidelined for several weeks. As a precautionary measure, the 41-year-old has not been included in Portugal’s squad for the ongoing international friendly matches.Despite being plagued by injuries, Ronaldo has been in strong form this season, consistently scoring goals for the club and maintaining an excellent goalscoring rate. His performance has heightened expectations for his participation in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he will play a key role.Martinez dismissed the notion that Ronaldo is focused on record-keeping and pointed to his selfless performances in recent games.“I don’t agree with that. If Cristiano had focused on scoring goals to break another record at the Euros, Bruno Fernandes wouldn’t have assisted against Turkey,” Goal.com quoted him as saying.The coach stressed that the mentality within the Portugal camp, particularly among the senior players, revolves around collective responsibility and performance.“Our players don’t have records or personal goals in mind. The only thing I saw at the European Championships is that experienced players have a different kind of responsibility, the biggest responsibility to achieve the best performance in the tournament,” he added.Asked about any personal goals Ronaldo has set, Martinez reiterated that this narrative does not reflect reality.“No, because I don’t think Chris plays with the anxiety or intention of reaching 1,000 goals. Whether he has 950 goals or 1,050 goals, he has the same legacy. That doesn’t change anything. That’s what the outside world says,” he said.Martinez also highlighted Ronaldo’s intelligence in the final third, stressing that his decision-making and ability to create chances for his teammates remain key assets.“We are talking about a striker who has scored 25 goals in 30 games. But I look more at behavior in the penalty area. And Ronaldo is not as obsessed with his 1,000th goal as people talk about. Because his behavior is not like that. I can’t say that for the club, but not for the national team,” he concluded.Meanwhile, Portugal are in Group K with Uzbekistan and Colombia at the 2026 World Cup, with their matches starting on June 17. Ronaldo is expected to lead the team in their quest for a first World Cup title.
