Taylor Twellman has told Portugal manager Roberto Martinez what he would do with Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal’s World Cup draw with DR Congo in Houston.
Portugal opened their Group K campaign with a 1-1 draw on June 17, with Joao Neves scoring for Martinez’s side at the Houston Stadium.
Ronaldo is part of Portugal’s squad at the 2026 World Cup, where the 41-year-old is appearing at the tournament for the sixth time.
Taylor Twellman says Cristiano Ronaldo should come off the bench
Speaking on SportsCenter, Twellman said: “This may be the deepest Portuguese team they’ve ever had at a World Cup, but I think they’re better if Ronaldo comes off the bench.”
The comment came after Portugal began their tournament with a draw against DR Congo.
Twellman’s view was centred on Ronaldo’s role in Martinez’s team rather than his place in the squad.
Portugal have several attacking options available to Martinez, and Twellman believes Ronaldo may be better used as a substitute.
Roberto Martinez preparing for Portugal’s next Group K match
FIFA confirmed before the tournament that Ronaldo was named in Martinez’s Portugal squad for the 2026 World Cup.
The same confirmation stated that Ronaldo was set to play at his sixth World Cup.
Portugal’s next Group K match is against Uzbekistan, before a later meeting with Colombia, according to the FIFA fixture list.
Martinez must now prepare his side for the rest of the group stage after Portugal dropped points in their opening match.
Twellman has made clear that he would make a change involving Ronaldo as Portugal continue their World Cup campaign.
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