India, July 1 -- Former England striker Chris Sutton slammed Portugal manager Roberto Martinez for his continued reliance on Cristiano Ronaldo. The 41-year-old striker has been one of the weakest links in the national team setup. Despite that, Martinez has kept Ronaldo in the starting line-up for Portugal's ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign.

Ronaldo managed a brace against Uzbekistan, but failed to score against DR Congo and Colombia, who are stronger opponents. Portugal were held to a shock 1-1 draw by Congo in their campaign opener. In their final group game, they played out a goalless draw against Colombia.

Speaking ahead of Portugal's crucial Round of 32 showdown against Croatia, Sutton labelled Martinez's over-reliance on Ronald...