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Portugal’s trip to Norway marked another complicated chapter in Cristiano Ronaldo’s 23-year international career, as the national team captain sat on the bench as an unused substitute during an official fixture for the first time since June 15, 2008. The encounter in Oslo left the 41-year-old forward heading straight for the locker room at the final whistle without joining his teammates in acknowledging the supporters on the pitch.
That immediate exit extended a long history of friction between Ronaldo and his managers across 234 games for the Seleção. While his initial years under Luiz Felipe Scolari between 2003 and 2008 passed relatively smoothly, subsequent coaching tenures brought public disagreements, tactical friction, and strained relationships that frequently played out on the global stage.
The 2010 World Cup Flashpoint With Carlos Queiroz
A major crisis between Ronaldo and a national team manager arrived during the 2010 FIFA World Cup under Carlos Queiroz, who led the squad from 2008 to 2010. Minor tensions had surfaced earlier, including a friendly against Liechtenstein on August 12, 2009, which Ronaldo missed due to a bout of flu.
The breaking point arrived on June 29, 2010, during the Round of 16 clash against Spain. Television broadcasts captured Ronaldo’s visible frustration with Queiroz’s tactical decisions during the match. A 63rd-minute goal from David Villa secured a victory for Spain, eliminating Portugal from the tournament.
When asked to explain the defeat, the forward deflected responsibility directly onto the manager, stating, “Speak with Carlos Queiroz.” The fallout proved terminal for the coaching staff; Queiroz departed his post in September 2010 and was succeeded by Paulo Bento.
Bento later addressed the changing dynamics within the squad during an interview with Antena 1 on May 11, noting that his relationship with the forward altered over time. “If you asked me if the relationship was the same as the beginning, it wasn’t,” Bento said. “If to maintain a relationship I have to give up principles… no. Hierarchies must exist and must be respected.”
Armband Incidents and Euro 2016 Frustrations
Under Fernando Santos, Ronaldo experienced both success—including the triumphs at Euro 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League—and recurring disciplinary controversies.
Hours before Portugal’s decisive group-stage match against Hungary at Euro 2016 in Lyon on June 22, 2016, Ronaldo threw a CMTV reporter’s microphone into a lake. Years later, frustration with team results spilled over onto the captain’s armband itself on two separate occasions within three months in 2021.
On March 27, 2021, during a World Cup qualifier against Serbia, Ronaldo believed he had scored a last-minute winner when his shot crossed the goal line. When the officials considered that the ball did not fully cross the line, denying a goal, Ronaldo received a yellow card and threw his captain’s armband onto the turf before recollecting to the locker rooms.
A similar scene unfolded on June 27, 2021, at the Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville following Portugal’s defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16 at Euro 2020. As Ronaldo headed toward the tunnel, he let the armband drop before kicking it aside before a staff member intervened.
The Bench Demotion at the 2022 World Cup
A fracture in Ronaldo’s relationship with Santos occurred during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Having already secured qualification from the group stage, Santos named Ronaldo in the starting lineup for the final group fixture against South Korea.
In the 66th minute, Santos substituted Ronaldo off. Television cameras captured the forward’s reaction as he departed the pitch. Gonçalo Ramos stepped into the starting XI for the fixture against Switzerland, scoring a hat-trick in a 6–1 victory while Ronaldo watched from the bench.
Ramos retained his place for the match against Morocco, where Portugal suffered a 1–0 elimination. Ronaldo entered as a substitute in the 51st minute but could not overturn the deficit, bringing an end to Santos’s tenure as manager.
Santos reflected on the fallout in an interview with A Bola in November 2023, acknowledging that the decision to bench Ronaldo against Switzerland damaged their previously strong bond. “It’s true that on the day of the game, in the morning, when I went to explain to him that he wasn’t going to play and why he wasn’t going to play, he misinterpreted it,” Santos said. “Do I understand his reaction? I understand!”
