Cristiano Ronaldo stays a “essential” 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 dwelling 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 data of most males’s worldwide appearances and objectives to 198 and 122 respectively. “Cristiano is a novel participant on the earth, with the very best variety of worldwide caps,” mentioned Martinez, who has restored Ronaldo to the beginning line-up after he was dropped throughout the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“The expertise he has for the dressing room is essential.

“All gamers have an essential function. The youthful ones on account of their willingness to play and gamers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Rui Patricio and Bernardo Silva carry expertise.

“It is essential to have a whole 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 high of Group J having scored 10 objectives with out reply.

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

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