Portugal's Martinez takes off Ronaldo when push comes to shove
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their first goal in their World Cup Round of 32 match against Croatia on July 2, 2026 at Toronto Stadium in Toronto, Canada.
When push came to shove with Portugal mired in a 1-1 draw against Croatia in their World Cup round of 32 match on Thursday, coach Roberto Martinez finally did what many had clamoured for all tournament – he took off Cristiano Ronaldo.
The country's all-time leading World Cup scorer had pulled Portugal level with a penalty but could not hide his disappointment when he was hauled off with less than 10 minutes left and his side's tournament hopes hanging by a thread.
