Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation with Portugal has calmed down after a tense episode surrounding the team’s 2-1 win over Norway. The 41-year-old forward stayed on the bench throughout the match despite Jorge Jesus initially telling him he would enter during the second half. Ronaldo appeared frustrated by the decision and left the stadium without returning to the pitch after warming up.
The tension continued the following day when Ronaldo briefly joined the team before speaking with Jesus and returning to the hotel to train individually. Portuguese outlets reported that the coach and captain then held a private meeting to address the disagreement. A Bola, O Jogo and Record all reported that the conversation went well and helped ease tensions, while Mais Futebol offered a more cautious view, saying the relationship had improved significantly but that it remained too early to declare the dispute completely over.
The Portuguese Football Federation president, Pedro Proença, also brought forward his trip to Copenhagen to meet Ronaldo and Jesus and hear their accounts of the incident. No sanction currently appears likely, and a federation source reportedly confirmed that Ronaldo has no physical problem. The Al-Nassr star has yet to comment publicly, although he posted a photo of himself with the Portuguese flag and a heart emoji on Instagram. The situation remains a major talking point in Portugal ahead of the team’s next match against Denmark.
