Portugal’s stop in Malmö was meant to be a brief crossing point before Thursday’s Nations League match in Denmark. Instead, Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence from Tuesday training placed fresh attention on the 41-year-old captain’s changing role with the national team.
Two days after Portugal beat Norway 2-1, Ronaldo did not join the group session in southern Sweden. He had spoken with coach Jorge Jesus in the stadium tunnel, holding a coffee, before the squad went out to train.
Quick facts
- Portugal have won their first two Nations League games: 1-0 against Wales and 2-1 against Norway.
- Ronaldo was substituted in the first match and remained unused on the bench against Norway.
- Only 19 players trained in Malmö on Tuesday.
- Bruno Fernandes returned after missing the Norway game.
- Francisco Conceição and João Félix were rested as planned.
- Portugal face Denmark on Thursday in their third Nations League fixture.
Ronaldo officially left the stadium to return to the hotel because the facilities required for his individual work were unavailable there. Yet the timing drew scrutiny after his subdued end to Sunday’s victory in Oslo, when he departed without taking part in the squad’s collective celebrations.
Jesus had sought to calm the situation earlier in the day. “I speak to Ronaldo every day, every minute,” the Portugal coach said.
The Al-Nassr forward remains Portugal’s most capped player, with 234 appearances, and their leading scorer on 146 goals. But he is now confronting a different position in the hierarchy after being taken off in one game and left out of another.
Last week, Ronaldo said he had considered ending his international career after Portugal’s most recent World Cup, where Spain eliminated them 1-0 in the round of 16. A meeting with the Portuguese Football Federation president and Jesus, his coach at Al-Nassr last season, reportedly persuaded him to continue at least until the end of the calendar year.
Jesus, who succeeded Roberto Martinez this summer, has publicly treated the issue carefully while also preparing Portugal for life beyond their long-serving star. Whether the prospect of a second successive match as a substitute influenced Ronaldo’s unexpected absence will be a major question when the coach speaks on Wednesday, the eve of the Denmark match.
