"We want to win for Cristiano Ronaldo" - Roberto Martinez sends message to Portugal squad ahead of Armenia clash

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has rallied his players to defeat Armenia for captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who is unavailable for the encounter. The 40-year-old is suspended for the game in Porto after he was shown a red card in their 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland.

Former Belgium boss Martinez spoke at his press conference ahead of his side doing battle with Armenia with a place in next summer's FIFA World Cup on the line. He charged his players to get the win for their talismanic captain, issuing a rallying cry to them ahead of the encounter.

"In the next match against Armenia, we want to win for Cristiano Ronaldo", he said (via @TheNassrZone on X).

Cristiano Ronaldo endured a hugely disappointing outing in Dublin on Thursday as his side conceded twice to Troy Parrott in the first half at the Aviva Stadium. He was then shown a straight red card for elbowing Dara O'Shea, with the VAR intervening to upgrade an initial booking to a sending off.

With their captain and record goalscorer having been sent off, Portugal failed to breach a resolute Irish backline manned by ex-Liverpool star Caoimhin Kelleher. The Selecao suffered a first defeat of the qualifying series, potentially putting their chances of direct qualification in jeopardy.

The UEFA Nations League holders will qualify for the Mundial with a win over Armenia at home, but will not take it for granted after their last two games. They will be wary of dropping points against the minnows, who they defeated 5-0 in Yerevan back in September.

Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Portugal camp, set to miss out on special kit release: Reports

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly left the Portuguese national team camp ahead of their final World Cup qualifier against Armenia on Sunday. The 40-year-old has opted to return to his base in Saudi Arabia after he received a red card in Portugal's 2-0 defeat to Ireland, according to A Bola (via Tribal Football).

Ronaldo will not be part of the launch of the limited edition kit, the Pantera Negra, released to mark the 60th anniversary of Eusebio's Ballon d'Or win in 1965. Portugal will wear the jersey only once, in their November 16 meeting with Armenia in Porto, where a win will take them to next summer's World Cup.

A five-time Ballon d'Or winner himself, Ronaldo will now move to Saudi Arabia to join his Al-Nassr teammates as they prepare to face Al-Khaleej on November 23rd. He may face further punishment for his red card against Ireland, and could be suspended for the start of next summer's World Cup.

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen