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Portugal Forward Says No Obligation to Pass to Ronaldo
Francisco Conceição told reporters the team passes by instinct and does not have to look for Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal drew its opening match 1-1 with Congo DR and faces Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
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Francisco Conceição said Portugal has no obligation to pass the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo during matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. "We don't have any obligation or need to pass the ball to him," Conceição said at a news conference before training in Palm Beach, Florida. " Conceição, 23, made his World Cup debut in Portugal's 1-1 draw with Congo DR.
He added that the team passes to the player who is better unmarked at the moment and that decisions occur in thousandths of a second by instinct. "For example, speaking for myself, I pass the ball to whoever I think is better unmarked at that moment," he said. "It's not like I have time to think about who's ...
Conceição also praised Ronaldo's goal-scoring ability. "No, I think Cristiano, with his quality for scoring goals, I don't think there's anyone like him in that department," he said. Ronaldo is 41 years old.
Conceição said the forward shows the same hunger in training "as if it were his last session" and called him an example for the squad. " Portugal returned to training on Sunday in Palm Beach to prepare for its Group K match against Uzbekistan on Tuesday in Houston.
The team is seeking its first win of the tournament. Conceição's father, Sérgio Conceição, played for Portugal at the World Cup in South Korea and Japan 24 years before Francisco Conceição's debut.
