Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has explained why Cristiano Ronaldo remained an unused substitute during his side’s 2-1 victory over Norway in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday.
Ronaldo was named among Portugal’s substitutes for the Group A4 encounter at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo and was available to play, but the 41-year-old forward remained on the bench for the entire 90 minutes as Portugal secured their second consecutive victory in the competition.
The decision marked an unusual moment in Ronaldo’s international career. According to reports, it was the first time since Euro 2008 that he had remained an unused substitute in a Portugal match in which he was available for selection.
Jesus initially planned to introduce the five-time Ballon d’Or winner during the second half. However, events on the pitch convinced the Portugal coach to maintain the attacking combination already operating effectively.
“I was thinking of Cristiano to come in, maybe for the final half-hour, but then the game dictated other things,” Jesus explained after the match.
The main factor was Gonçalo Ramos, who started in attack in place of Ronaldo and eventually scored Portugal’s winning goal.
Ramos had already made a significant contribution before his decisive strike. After João Félix had put Portugal ahead in the 17th minute, Norway responded through Erling Haaland, who equalised in the 51st minute.
Portugal regained the lead four minutes later after Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland made a costly mistake. His attempted pass went straight to Ramos, who took advantage of the opportunity and calmly lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 2-1.
Ramos also appeared to have scored another goal later in the match, but the effort was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
With the striker performing effectively and Portugal protecting their advantage, Jesus decided against making the planned change.
“Gonçalo Ramos was playing well, he had scored a goal, he had another one ruled out, and I felt it wasn’t the right moment to take him off,” the coach said.
Jesus was also keen to make clear that Ronaldo’s omission was not caused by an injury or physical problem.
“He was ready. It wasn’t to protect him physically, because he was fit to play for as long as I wanted,” the Portugal coach explained.
The decision came only three days after Ronaldo had started Portugal’s opening Nations League fixture against Wales. He played close to 70 minutes in the 1-0 victory before being substituted. Jesus had already indicated that the short turnaround between the two matches was a consideration when deciding his starting lineup against Norway.
Ronaldo’s absence was therefore not an indication that he had been removed from Portugal’s plans. Jesus specifically suggested that the veteran forward could return to the starting lineup in the team’s next fixture.
“There are still two more games,” Jesus said, adding that Ronaldo remained firmly within his plans and could feature from the beginning against Denmark.
While Ronaldo watched from the sidelines, Portugal produced a disciplined performance to maintain their perfect start to the Nations League campaign.
João Félix opened the scoring with his second goal in as many matches, before Haaland restored parity for Norway. The Manchester City striker’s effort was his 65th international goal and his 22nd in the Nations League, extending his record as the competition’s leading scorer.
Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa also played an important role, denying Haaland twice before the interval. Rafael Leão later struck the crossbar as Portugal searched for a second goal before Ramos eventually capitalised on Nyland’s error.
The result leaves Portugal with six points from their opening two matches and at the top of their Nations League group. Norway, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat after opening their campaign with a 3-2 victory over Denmark.
For Ronaldo, the night was unusual but ultimately successful from a team perspective. He did not get onto the pitch, yet Portugal secured another important victory and strengthened their position in the group.
Jesus will now face another selection decision as Portugal continue their Nations League campaign. After making it clear that Ronaldo was fit and remains part of his plans, the coach has left open the possibility of handing his captain another start in the upcoming fixture.
For now, however, Portugal’s victory in Oslo belongs to Félix, Ramos and a team that managed to overcome Norway without calling upon one of the most recognisable players in international football.
