Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus explained why Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of the starting lineup against Norway in the UEFA Nations League.
A major surprise emerged ahead of the match between Norway and Portugal at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo after Jorge Jesus decided to bench Cristiano Ronaldo at kick-off, immediately offering an explanation for his decision.
Jesus, speaking with ESPN, explained his thinking before kickoff. “Today is the third day. Ronaldo played nearly 70 minutes in the Wales match, and I felt he could not start two consecutive matches today. We want Ronaldo in these four matches, even if it is only for a few minutes, but we want him on the pitch,” said Jesus, who later defended keeping Ronaldo on the bench in his postgame press conference.
Ronaldo, 41, started Thursday’s match as Portugal beat Wales 1-0. Fans were denied an initial head-to-head matchup between natural goalscorers Erling Haaland and Ronaldo, as starting lineup plans took a different direction. Despite his lack of action in Oslo, Ronaldo celebrated Portugal’s win with one word on social media.
The last time Ronaldo had been a substitute for Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo had not featured as a substitute for Portugal in two years, specifically since September 8, 2024, in a UEFA Nations League match against Scotland (2-1), where Roberto Martinez brought him on in the second half to decide the fixture with an 88th-minute goal.
Goncalo Ramos instead of Cristiano Ronaldo
In place of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jesus started Goncalo Ramos at center forward in Oslo for the Nation League match, alongside Joao Felix, who scored against Wales, and Joao Neves. The move worked well for Jesus, as both Felix and Ramos scored in the 2-1 win over Norway.
On the other side, Norway head coach Stale Solbakken included Haaland in his starting eleven after the striker scored two goals in his side’s 3-2 victory over Denmark on Thursday. Haaland scored, but that goal was overshadowed by Ramos’ game-winning finish.
However, remaining an unused substitute in Oslo doesn’t necessarily signal anything negative for CR7, nor does it mean the captain has lost his place permanently.
Portugal’s upcoming matches
Cristiano Ronaldo was benched as part of load management during an especially tight window for Portugal with four games. Jesus hinted at Ronaldo returning to action when Portugal play Denmark on Oct. 1, and three days later, we can finally get to see Ronaldo vs. Haaland when Portugal host Norway.