Portugal utilized several tactical substitutions during the stalemate with Colombia, but Ronaldo remained the one constant on the pitch. Martinez pointed out that other areas of the field require more frequent rotation due to the physical demands of specific roles. “Today, we used Joao Neves and Ruben Neves for 45 minutes, we did the same with Diogo Dalot and Joao Cancelo because different positions have different needs,” he said.
Determining who starts and who sits is a science for the Portugal backroom staff. Martinez emphasized the importance of their internal metrics, noting: “There are some players who are not at full fitness, but all of the data we collect is very important in helping us make those decisions.” Despite Ronaldo’s lack of goal involvement against Colombia, the manager remains confident in his captain’s conditioning.
