Cristiano Ronaldo received a massive Portugal future update from head coach Roberto Martinez

Cristiano Ronaldo's position within the national team had come under question during the 2022 Qatar World Cup when the striker was replaced in their knockout games against South Korea and Morocco. Thenewly-appointed head coach for the national team Roberto Martinez has chosen him for the squads in this summer's Euros qualifiers and ignored any rumours of the greatest ever international goalscorer being removed from the setup.

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The questions came to rise under former coach Fernando Santos. He started with Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos in the match against South Korea. The decision proved to be a good one as Ramos scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win. The same system was used for the following match against Morocco, which ended in a disappointing loss for the Portuguese team.

Roberto Martinez has previously managed Belgium's golden generation of players to a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup. He was named as a replacement and has come out in support of his selection of Ronaldo.

Ronaldo has scored 122 times in 198 matches, including a brilliant campaign at the 2016 Euros. He led his team to a major international trophy. He has been Portugal's captain for 15 years now and continues to hold his place in the team. Although it isn't clear whether he will be a sure-shot starter over the likes of Ramos and Joao Felix at the striker position.

Roberto Martinez opened up about Ronaldo's selection for the UEFA Euro qualifiers

"Playing in a non-European club is sometimes an advantage when playing in the national team," said Martinez in a press conference. "We have three ways of analysing a player: individual quality, experience, and commitment. Cristiano's commitment is complete. He is an example for the locker room, an example for Portuguese and world football. He has played 198 matches for the national team."

Martinez made clear that Ronaldo's experience and leadership qualities are essential for the make-up of his team, alongside those of veteran defender Pepe. "Cristiano and Pepe are examples of Portuguese football. We need them to pass all the experience and wisdom to the youngest players."

Ronaldo scored 14 times in 16 appearances for Al Nassr, but it was a tough season for him. He struggled to adjust to the tough playing conditions of the Middle East. Ronaldo joined Al Nassr from Manchester United when they were in first place. He had to see them dip down into second throughout the season, having to settle for the silver medal. Cristiano has scored 4 goals in his last 2 games for the Portuguese national team.

Martinez did also warn Ronaldo that he will be expected to do his part. "Like any other player, he needs to train well to play. We need a high-performance environment with competition for our players," concluded the Spaniard. The prolific superstar and his Portugal team will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday in Lisbon in the Euro qualifiers.