Cristiano Ronaldo is still "hungry to be the best", according to Roberto Martinez
Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 5-0 victory over Armenia
Martinez denied that Ronaldo's biggest goal is to win the World Cup, with his main focus being only on the near future
Cristiano Ronaldo is still "hungry to be the best", according to Roberto Martinez, who detailed the value of his captain's experience in the Portugal squad.
Ronaldo is a key figure for Portugal and scored twice as they opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 5-0 victory over Armenia on Saturday.
Those goals took his tally up to 942 goals for club and country in his career, with 140 of those coming for Portugal.
Ronaldo, who turned 40 years old in February, has shown no signs of stopping there, with the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico in his sights, having never previously won the tournament.
He recently signed a new contract with Al-Nassr, committing his future to the Saudi Pro League club until 2027, and won a second Nations League title with Portugal in June.
But Martinez denied that Ronaldo's biggest goal is to win the World Cup, with his main focus being only on the near future.
"He lives day to day like a young player playing for the first time," Martinez said ahead of Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Hungary.
"The way he dedicates himself, the freshness he has every day. He's a winner. He's hungry to be the best.
"The World Cup? He's doing the best he can; he doesn't have long-term goals. He wants to be the best every day. His focus is on the day-to-day.
"I've already talked a lot about what he conveys, but these aren't aspects of the future; they're aspects of everyday life. What it means to wear the [Portugal] jersey is the captain's message in the locker room; it helps a lot."
Portugal have never lost to Hungary in 14 previous matches (W10 D4), with this their fifth meeting in World Cup qualifiers (Portugal won all four).
The last three clashes between the two nations, including one in the group stage of the delayed Euro 2020, saw Portugal win without conceding.
Bernardo Silva did not play in the match against Armenia, but he believes their recent Nations League triumph has given them the confidence to embark on a strong qualifying campaign and hopes they can carry it into the World Cup.
"It's always good to win a title and live up to the trust placed in this generation, knowing it's not a European Championship or a World Cup," Silva told Canal 11.
"We were very proud to win and gave it great importance. Now, we're moving on to an even bigger goal: qualifying Portugal for the World Cup, then competing in that competition and giving our all to pursue this dream we have."
