Portugal’s 4-2 win in Copenhagen has kept their Nations League campaign perfect, but the noise around Cristiano Ronaldo has travelled back from Denmark with the squad. The 41-year-old’s abrupt departure from the national-team camp has opened a serious question over his future with Portugal, even as Jorge Jesus’s side prepare to meet Norway at Porto’s Estádio do Dragão.
A meeting sought to restore calm
Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença wants to bring Ronaldo and head coach Jorge Jesus together again in an effort to settle the dispute and restore stability within the group.
- Portugal have taken nine points from nine under the 72-year-old Jesus in this Nations League campaign.
- The immediate sporting focus is Saturday’s match against Norway at the Dragão.
- Proença’s objective is for Ronaldo to consider returning to the squad and for the camp to regain a calmer atmosphere.
- Ronaldo and Jesus had already held talks before the forward left the Denmark camp.
- There was also a final attempt to persuade him at the airport, but it did not change his decision.
Jesus offered little detail after the victory over Denmark. He said his conscience was clear and indicated that he would address the matter more fully after the Norway fixture.
Support for Ronaldo appears in Lisbon
By Friday morning, the argument had moved beyond the training ground. Banners appeared close to Benfica’s Estádio da Luz in Lisbon backing Ronaldo, thanking him for what he has delivered for Portugal and insisting that he remains the country’s captain.
The messages were also sharply critical of Jesus. They accused the Portugal coach of a lack of sensitivity and referred to what they described as an inflated ego, underlining the pressure now surrounding his leadership despite the team’s flawless Nations League start.
Portugal face a test beyond the result
The trip to Copenhagen brought three more points and four goals, yet it did not resolve the larger issue hanging over the national side. Portugal must now handle the Norway match in Porto while Proença works to create another conversation between the coach and the country’s most celebrated international player.
