Portuguese winger Francisco Conceicao insisted on Sunday that his teammates felt no pressure to move on to Cristiano Ronaldo after investigating the veteran superstar’s role in the lackluster World Cup opener.
Critics are questioning whether 41-year-old Ronaldo’s lack of mobility will hurt Portugal’s chances after the 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
But Conceicao said on Sunday there was no question of players feeling obliged to go to Ronaldo when other teammates were in better attacking positions.
“We don’t feel the need to give him the ball,” Conceicao said. “I’ll pass it on to whoever I think is in the best position and not marked.”
Conceicao said Ronaldo is seen as “just a member of the squad” who “needed every individual to make the collective function”.
«Cristiano is an example because of his career and the hunger he still has at the age of 41… An example of leadership and the goals he scores,» the Juventus player said at a press conference.
«There’s no one like him when it comes to scoring goals… He’s here to help, just like any other player.»
Portugal play Uzbekistan in their second Group K match in Houston on Tuesday and are desperate for three points to get their campaign underway.
«No one is taking it harder than us. We felt firsthand that we were not doing our job in the best way possible,» Conceicao said.
«If things don’t go well, there will be more pressure and more criticism. We want to show our quality and win the next match.»
Published on June 22, 2026
