Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Portugal national football team head coach Roberto Martinez has brushed aside claims that Cristiano Ronaldo is chasing the landmark of 1,000 career goals, insisting that the veteran forward remains driven by team success rather than individual milestones.Ronaldo, who has already netted over 950 goals across his career and continues to spearhead both Portugal and Al Nassr, is currently recovering from a muscle injury that has ruled him out for a few weeks. As a precaution, the 41-year-old was not included in Portugal’s squad for the ongoing international friendlies.Even with the injury setback, Ronaldo has been in strong form this season, consistently finding the net for his club and maintaining an excellent scoring rate. His performances have strengthened expectations of his involvement in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, where he is set to play a crucial role.Dismissing the idea that Ronaldo is preoccupied with records, Martinez pointed to his selfless displays in recent competitions.“I don’t agree with that. If Cristiano had played the European Championship focused on scoring a goal to break another record, the assist against Turkey for Bruno Fernandes wouldn’t have happened,” he said as quoted by Goal.com.The coach underlined that the mindset within the Portugal camp, particularly among senior players, revolves around collective responsibility and performance.“It’s not true that our players have records or personal goals in mind. The only thing I saw at the European Championship was a different kind of responsibility in the more experienced players, a maximum responsibility to have a top performance in the tournament,” he added.When questioned about any personal targets set by Ronaldo, Martinez reiterated that such narratives do not reflect reality.“No, because I don’t see Cris playing with the anxiety or intention of reaching 1,000 goals. Whether he has 950 or 1,050 goals, he has the same legacy. It won’t change anything. That’s outside talk,” he said.Martinez also highlighted Ronaldo’s intelligence in the final third, stressing that his decision-making and ability to create chances for teammates remain key assets.“We’re talking about a striker who has 25 goals in 30 games. But I value behaviour inside the box much more. And Cristiano doesn’t have the obsession that people talk about from the outside regarding his 1,000th goal. Because his behavior isn’t like that. I can’t say for the club, but here with the national team it’s not like that,” he concluded.Meanwhile, Portugal have been drawn in Group K alongside Uzbekistan and Colombia for the 2026 World Cup, with their campaign set to begin on June 17. Ronaldo is expected to lead the side as they chase their maiden World Cup title.

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (AP/PTI)

Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of Portugal’s squad for the upcoming pre-FIFA World Cup friendlies, as head coach Roberto Martinez named his side on Friday.Portugal are scheduled to face Mexico national football team on March 28 at the Azteca Banorte Stadium, followed by a clash against the United States men’s national soccer team on March 31 in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.Ronaldo’s absence is due to a muscle injury he sustained while playing for Al-Nassr. The striker has been undergoing recovery in Madrid after initially beginning rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia. Reports suggest his return has taken slightly longer than expected, leading to his omission from the squad.Martinez, however, played down concerns over the veteran forward’s fitness ahead of the World Cup.“The World Cup is not at risk! He is not at risk. It is a minor muscle injury, and we think he can return in a week or two. Everything Cristiano has done physically during the season shows that he is in great shape,” he said.The injury, identified as a hamstring issue following Al-Nassr’s game against Al Fayha, forced Ronaldo to step away despite being in top form. He currently leads the league’s Golden Boot race with 21 goals, while Al-Nassr sit atop the table with 67 points from 26 matches.In another notable decision, Bernardo Silva was also left out, with Martinez confirming it was a “technical decision” based on medical inputs from his club.Portugal will begin their preparations in Mexico next week, assembling on Monday before starting training on Tuesday. Looking ahead to the World Cup, Portugal have been placed in Group K alongside Uzbekistan, Colombia and a yet-to-be-decided qualifier, with their campaign set to begin on June 17 in Houston.Ronaldo remains a central figure for Portugal on the global stage. The upcoming tournament will mark his sixth World Cup appearance, adding to a glittering international career that includes leading the nation to the UEFA Euro 2016 title and triumphs in the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.Portugal squad:Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting CP)Defenders: Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), João Cancelo (FC Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Antonio Silva (SL Benfica), Tomas Araujo (SL Benfica)Midfielders: Ruben Neves (Al Hilal), Samu Costa (Mallorca), Mateus Fernandes (West Ham), Joao Neves (PSG), Vitinha (PSG), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Rodrigo Mora (FC Porto)Forwards: Ricardo Horta (SC Braga), Pedro Goncalves (Sporting CP), João Felix (Al Nassr), Francisco Trincão (Sporting CP), Francisco Conceicão (Juventus), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Goncalo Ramos (PSG)

Al-Nassr will host Neom SC at Al-Awwal Park on Saturday in another round of the 2025-26 Saudi Professional League campaign. The home side’s AFC Champions League Two clash on Wednesday was postponed, and they will hope the extra time afforded them proves beneficial when they return to domestic action this weekend.

Al-Nassr have gone from strength to strength since shaking off their slump at the start of the year and are now two points clear at the top of the table. They took another step towards their first SPL title since the 2018-19 campaign with a 3-1 comeback victory over Al-Fayha last weekend, netting all three goals in a 13-minute second-half spell after trailing by a goal at the break.

Neom SC, meanwhile, have performed commendably well in their debut Saudi Pro League campaign, although they will recognize there is still room for improvement as they sit 12th in the table with 32 points.

Following a disappointing 1-1 draw with Al-Fayha, Neom returned to their home patch last weekend to face Al-Kholood, only to be met with more misery, losing 2-1. Despite entering the game as clear favorites, Christophe Galtier’s men never really got going, conceding twice in the first half, and will need to be much better when they travel to Riyadh this weekend.

Al-Nassr vs Neom SC Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• Saturday’s game will mark just the second meeting between the two teams following their maiden matchup earlier in the campaign, which Al-Nassr won 3-1.
• Al-Nassr boast the best attacking and second-best defensive records in the Saudi Arabian top flight this term, having scored 65 goals and conceded 19 in 24 matches.
• Neom have scored 29 goals in the SPL this season, the fewest of any team in the top half of the table.
• Al-Nassr have kept clean sheets in nine of their last 10 games across all competitions.

Al-Nassr vs Neom SC Prediction

Al-Alami head into the midweek clash on an outstanding 12-game winning streak. They have also won all but one of their home games since the start of November and will head into this one as overwhelming favorites.

Neom, meanwhile, have won just one of their last four matches and three of their last 12. They have also struggled for results on the road recently and could lose here.

Prediction: Al-Nassr 2-0 Neom SC

Al-Nassr vs Neom SC Betting Tips

Tip 1 – Result: Al-Nassr to win

Tip 2 – Goals – Over/under 2.5 – Under 2.5 goals (Five of the visitors’ last six matches have produced fewer than 2.5 goals)

Tip 3 – Both teams to score: No