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, later offering an explanation for his decision.
Jesus, speaking with ESPN, explained his thinking before kick-off. “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,” Jesus added. “We want Ronaldo in these four matches, even if it is only for a few minutes, but we want him on the pitch,” he continued.
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.
The last time Ronaldo was 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.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.
Ronaldo substitute
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.
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.
However, this decision does not signal anything negative for CR7, nor does it mean the captain has lost his place permanently. Cristiano Ronaldo remains available off the bench as part of load management during an especially tight window for Portugal. As Jesus stated, he wants to feature him across all matches.
Portugal’s upcoming matches
Jorge Jesus mentioned Ronaldo’s presence for the upcoming matches, as they face a tight schedule with four games during this FIFA window, which is a heavy load. Their next two matches will be against Denmark on October 1 for Matchday 3 and Norway again on October 4 for Matchday 4.
Key takeaways
- Cristiano Ronaldo was benched against Norway as part of load management.
- Two years had passed since the captain’s previous appearance as a substitute.
- Goncalo Ramos started at center forward for the national team in Oslo.
