Conceicao: No obligation for Portugal players to pass to Ronaldo

Portugal winger Francisco Conceicao says he and his teammates don't feel obligated to feed the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo at the 2026 World Cup.

Ronaldo came under scrutiny for his anonymous performance after Portugal was held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in the team's tournament opener. The 41-year-old finished the match with just 25 touches and looked out of sync with his teammates, leading to renewed questions about his suitability as Portugal's primary striker and whether his presence is actually a burden at this point in his career.

"No, I think Cristiano, with his quality for scoring goals, I don't think there's anyone like him in that department," Conceicao told reporters Sunday, according to ESPN. "And we don't have that obligation, that necessity to pass the ball to him."

The Juventus winger added that he simply tries to pick out teammates who are in the best position to score, regardless of their identity.

"I think we do everything by instinct," he said. "And of course, Cristiano is here to help, just like any other player in the national team."

Roberto Martinez's men return to action in Group K on Tuesday against Uzbekistan. Ronaldo is expected to retain his starting place after Martinez defended his decision to leave his captain on the pitch for 90 minutes against DR Congo despite his struggles.

"Cristiano is an example because of what his career has been, because of the hunger he shows every single day. Now at 41 years old, the hunger he shows in wanting to win every day, super motivated to train as if it were his last training session," Conceicao said.