Cristiano Ronaldo stays a “very important” participant for Portugal, coach Roberto Martinez mentioned on Sunday after the veteran striker scored a second successive brace in Euro 2024 qualifying in opposition to Luxembourg. The 38-year-old opened the scoring for the Euro 2016 winners by delivering Nuno Mendes’ header and slotted house one other within the thirty first minute as Portugal received 6-0. Ronaldo, who additionally netted twice in opposition to Liechtenstein on Thursday, elevated his information of most males’s worldwide appearances and targets to 198 and 122 respectively. “Cristiano is a unique player in the world, with the highest number of international caps,” mentioned Martinez, who has restored Ronaldo to the beginning line-up after he was dropped through the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“The experience he has for the dressing room is very important.

“All gamers have an necessary function. The youthful ones resulting from their willingness to play and gamers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Rui Patricio and Bernardo Silva deliver expertise.

“It’s important to have a complete dressing room.”

Martinez joined Portugal after the World Cup, changing Fernando Santos who had been in cost since 2014.

The Spaniard has loved a high-quality begin, along with his workforce already two factors clear on the prime of Group J having scored 10 targets with out reply.

Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, Otavio and Rafael Leao had been all additionally on the scoresheet in Luxembourg.

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