Portugal national team manager Roberto Martinez recently shed further light on the role that Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo will play in this year’s upcoming World Cup.

Martinez displayed the same level of caution as most managers when asked to guarantee Ronaldo’s starting role at the World Cup by stating that: “The door to the national team is always open, but the competitiveness makes it very difficult to get in.”

Some outlets took this as an opportunity to claim Ronaldo wouldn’t be a guaranteed starter, perhaps aiming to stoke the same controversies that surrounded previous Portugal manager Fernando Santos, who dropped Ronaldo for the 2022 World Cup last-16 tie against Switzerland.

However, Martinez’ comments seemed to confirm that Ronaldo would definitely be at the 2026 World Cup, merely adding that a third backup striker would be needed to add to CR7 and PSG’s Gonçalo Ramos.

The Portugal National Team Fan Token ($POR) was subject to a near 5-fold increase to trade volume in the hours following Martinez’ comments, while the token price climbed 21%.

Remarkably, since December 2025 alone, the valuation of $POR has increased by 140%, as traders begin to speculate on the possibility of last year’s UEFA Nations League winners progressing far in the 2026 World Cup.

Portugal Fan Token Gains 21%

Starting at a 24-hour low of $0.915, the valuation of the Portugal National Team Fan Token ($POR) climbed to $1.11 by 8:00am on Jan. 13.

A couple of hours later, by time of writing, the $POR price had fallen from its peak back to a price point of $1.08, leaving the token on 18% gains overall.

$POR trade volume increased from $283,000 to over $1.4 million amid the surge, marking growth of 394% as trading action surged to its highest level since August 2025.

In the past three weeks alone, the $POR valuation has increased by 140% as anticipation builds in earnest ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Martinez: Cristiano Ronaldo is Historical Icon

Ultimately, Martinez appears to have no issue with Ronaldo’s apparently unending influence on the Portugal national team, suggesting that what’s good for Ronaldo is good for Portugal.

Martinez stated: “What happens around Cristiano is a historical aspect. He’s a world football icon, but that doesn’t condition or limit our work. Cristiano is very calm and very focused on the day-to-day, and that’s a simple formula.

“When Cristiano Ronaldo is doing well, it’s very important for the national team,” Martinez added.

Greg Thomson: Fan Tokens Market Reporter