Portugal lose star Ronaldo after being used as a substitute
The last appearance of Cristiano Ronaldo as a substitute came in the match against Norway, where he felt booted out by the national coach and left the team before the upcoming duel in Denmark. EPA reported that the star Ronaldo thus sent a clear signal. The incident leaves the Portuguese national team without its captain for the next encounter.
A Change Over 23 Years
In the 23 years of his international career, not only Cristiano Ronaldo but the entire country has changed. When Ronaldo played his first international match for the Selecção on August 20, 2003, there were only a handful of TV stations in Portugal; today there are countless channels, including five 24‑hour news channels that have been reporting nonstop about the drama since Wednesday afternoon. The development is also documented in the official app of the Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, which has received numerous updates since then.
Two Goals and Jesus' Decision
In the training kit, a good‑humoured Cristiano Ronaldo announced that he still has two goals before his career ends: to reach the magical figure of 1,000 goals and to win the Nations League with Portugal. By his side stood Jorge Jesus, a 71‑year‑old coach who worked at Ronaldo's Saudi club Al‑Nassr until the summer and has been leading the national team for a few weeks. Jesus addresses Ronaldo in public with the nickname “Chris” and describes him as a symbol of the country and the national team.
Ronaldo replied: “If the coach needs me, I can play, be substituted or be brought on, or even not play at all.” Jesus took these words literally and incorporated them into his tactics.
Games Without Ronaldo and Consequences
In the first Nations League qualifying match against Wales (1‑0), Ronaldo started, but he missed several high‑quality goal chances and was substituted already in the 60th minute, with a slightly sour expression on his face. Against Norway (2‑1), Jesus left the superstar completely out, kept him warming on the sidelines for a long time and ultimately did not bring him onto the field. Instead, Gonçalo Ramos scored the winning goal after a quick press that Jesus had designed for the match.
Ronaldo breaks silence, clarifies his dispute with Jorge Jesus
The victory confirmed that the Selecção can survive in modern top‑level football without Ronaldo. At the final whistle in Oslo, Ronaldo made a dismissive gesture and left the pitch toward the locker room, while the team celebrated the away win without their captain.
In the days leading up to the match in Denmark on Thursday evening, the Portuguese football elite tried to appease the aging star. Jesus took him under his protection, even though he did not train with the squad. Federation president Pedro Proença flew to Copenhagen a day early to smooth the waters – but without visible success.
At the press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Jesus emphasized: “A player’s status does not grant him any special rights. In a club the president is in charge. In the team I am in charge.” The power struggle between the two alpha men led for the first time to a clear loss for Ronaldo within the Selecção’s environment.
Ronaldo rebukes Jorge Jesus as he likens himself to Pelé and Maradona
Ronaldo had already had conflicts with former coaches Carlos Queiroz (2008‑2010) and Paulo Bento (2010‑2014), which caused him to stay away from the first international matches after the disappointing World Cup failures of 2010 and 2014. These tensions led to the dismissal of the two coaches, while Ronaldo later returned to the team.