- SportsTak

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has said he does not want to comment on Cristiano Ronaldo's views on the FIFA World Cup. He appreciated the national team skipper for performing well on the pitch, saying that the forward was focused on the upcoming qualifiers.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez declines to respond on Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial statement

Speaking to the media, Martinez said that Ronaldo remains a role model figure for his players and his views are always welcome. However, when questioned about the World Cup not defining the forward's career, the Portugal coach declined to respond. He said:

“It’s always good to hear the captain’s thoughts, because there isn’t another player with more than 200 international appearances. He’s a role model for the whole group, thanks to his dedication every time he puts on the national team shirt. He’s fully focused on qualification in November."

"Aside from that, our focus is on qualifying, and I’ll prevent any talk about anything else. In the September camp, we earned 6 points, and 4 points in October, that was very good, but we need to achieve even more in these next two matches.”

Cristiano Ronaldo has been called up for the upcoming qualifiers against Ireland and Armenia.

Cristiano Ronaldo's views on the FIFA World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo spoke to Piers Morgan earlier this week, boldly saying that a FIFA World Cup win is not a dream. He believes that a short tournament should not define his career, but added that he focused on qualifying.

Ronaldo added that he wants to enjoy his time with the national team and said:

“If you ask me, ‘Cristiano, is it a dream to win the World Cup?’ No, it’s not a dream. To win the World Cup, nothing will change my name in the history of football, I’m not going to lie. One thing that I’m sure of [is] that I will enjoy the moment. The moment is the most important thing that we have. We are not qualified already. Enjoy the moment.”

“In my mind, I’m not thinking in that way. Of course, you want to win, yeah. When you compete, you want to win... for me, [winning the World Cup] is not going to change the way I see things.”

Cristiano Ronaldo's best finish at the FIFA World Cup is the 2004 semifinal. He won three titles with the national team, winning the UEFA Nations League twice and the 2016 UEFA Euro.