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COUNTDOWN, 10 DAYS TO THE WORLD CUP:

10 REASONS WHY PORTUGAL MIGHT WIN THE FIFA World Cup: Reason no 2:

I dont know what Cristiano Ronaldo thinks of Fernando Santos but if there is any Portugal's former manager who Ronaldo should never forget, after picking Scolari who gave him his debut, then Mr. Santos is next.

They worked together for 8 years winning 2 trophies.

However, looking at the way he handled Ronaldo in 2022 when he bowed to unnecessary pressure from fak£ fans and media, he really ruined that relationship.

This wasnt just a moment but a tough moment for Cristiano.

The same Cristiano, who Santos was told or believed was finished is the one still leading the attack for Martinez.

It was after the 2022 World Cup that Ronaldo won IFFHS top scorer award, 2 Saudi Pro League top scorer and 2 GCC Golden Boots, Arab ClubsChampionsCup.

Under Martinez, Ronaldo has played 29 matches scoring 25 goals and 4 assists. Thats 29 goal contributions in 29 matches for a finished player.

Definitely, Martinez is not Santos. He understands what it means to be an important player for the team.

He knows how to respond to questions surrounding the playing time of Cristiano Ronaldo. When asked how long he thinks Ronaldo can still go, he made it clear that the decision is with Ronaldo a player who is relevant for what he is doing now and not what he did in the past.

Martinez knows what he wants in a player who has never been a push over since he started his career.

Ask yourself if Martinez is doing something wrong for trusting a man who has scored over 150 goals since 2022 despite his age.

Meanwhile, Martinez has experienced podium finish at the World Cup before when he led Belgium to a third place finish in 2018. This should be a motivation to him, plus he just won the Uefa Nation's League with Portugal.

Martinez will be going to the world cup with some of the finest players in the world. Santos had to work with a trouble minded Ronaldo at the last world cup.

Some of these factors are very important and could determine how you performance at the biggest stage.

At this point, Martinez is not Santos because he is in a better position than his predecessor. He should be able to go a step further than he did with Belgium 🇧🇪.