Cristiano Ronaldo spent a full 90 minutes on the substitutes’ bench during Portugal’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory over Norway on Sunday evening, marking the first time in over two years that the veteran forward did not feature in a match for his national team.
Goals from João Félix and Gonçalo Ramos secured the three points for Portugal in Sunday’s fixture, building on their previous win against Wales. Yet the primary talking point after the whistle centered on the 41-year-old forward remaining on the bench for the entire duration of the match. Records show it was the first time Ronaldo sat out an entire international fixture since a friendly against Croatia in June 2024.
Jorge Jesus Explains the Bench Decision
Head coach Jorge Jesus addressed the selection prior to kickoff, noting that managing Ronaldo’s workload was necessary after the forward played 70 minutes against Wales just days prior. Managing two demanding starts across a three-day span was deemed excessive.
However, omitting the veteran entirely from the substitute rotation caught observers by surprise. Jesus explained the in-game management to reporters after the match, stating he initially considered bringing Ronaldo on for the final half-hour. The performance of Gonçalo Ramos shifted those plans.
“I had thought about letting him come on for half an hour, but Gonçalo Ramos was doing well,” Jesus said. “He had scored and seen another goal ruled out, so I felt it wasn’t the moment to disturb him. The match progressed and then it was no longer the time to bring Cris on, because we needed players who could bring balance to get the result over the line.”
Evaluating the Impact of Gonçalo Ramos
Ramos staked a strong claim for an extended run in the starting lineup with his active display in attack alongside Félix.
The stellar outing from Ramos sparked immediate questions regarding whether the long-running era of Ronaldo as an undisputed starter for Portugal is drawing to a close. Jesus rejected the notion that the veteran’s status has permanently expired, or that Ramos had definitively surpassed him in the squad hierarchy.
“It was simply not the ideal moment to bring Ronaldo on,” Jesus said. “No, Ramos hasn’t scored points, or at least not more than the others. I simply select who I think needs to play. Maybe Ronaldo will play against Denmark now.”
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