In Saint-Denis, Zinedine Zidane’s attention is fixed on Belgium and the Nations League summit, yet his press conference also carried a message for Cristiano Ronaldo, the former Real Madrid forward whose Portugal exit has become a continental talking point.
Key takeaways
- Zidane praised Ronaldo’s exceptional career and recalled the trophies they won together at Real Madrid.
- Portugal host Norway at the Dragao on Sunday in the fourth round of Nations League group fixtures.
- Ronaldo left the Portugal camp after being unused in the second matchday, amid reported disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus.
- France lead Nations League Group A1 on seven points, one ahead of Belgium before Monday’s meeting.
- Zidane plans to rotate his France squad for the 20:45 match in Saint-Denis.
Zidane salutes a former Madrid mainstay
Ronaldo’s departure from the Portugal squad has followed him into the international window, with questions being put to coaches across Europe. The issue surfaced again when Zidane faced the media before France’s match against Belgium.
The French coach declined to judge Ronaldo’s decision to leave Portugal’s training camp, or the tension surrounding his relationship with Jorge Jesus. Instead, Zidane offered an unequivocal tribute to the 41-year-old. “Hats off to Cristiano,” he said, adding that the Portuguese forward had helped him win remarkable trophies.
Zidane coached Ronaldo for three seasons at Real Madrid, a period in which the club collected nine trophies and lifted the Champions League in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He said Ronaldo’s achievements were extraordinary and that the player deserved congratulations for the scale of his career.
“I was fortunate to coach him,” Zidane said. “I respect all of my players, but especially those with whom I shared so much time. Cristiano, in particular, helped us win so much.”
Portugal’s next assignment comes at home, with Norway visiting Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday. It is the fourth group-stage fixture of the Nations League, played against the backdrop of Ronaldo having received no minutes in Portugal’s second-round match before leaving the camp.
Belgium test brings selection changes
France and Belgium will meet on Monday night with first place in Group A1 at stake. Les Bleus arrive with seven points, while Belgium sit second on six.
The earlier meeting went France’s way in Belgium, where Michael Olise’s 88th-minute goal secured a 1-0 victory. Zidane nevertheless expects another difficult evening against a side he believes caused France tactical problems despite that result.
He also pointed to Belgium’s performance against Turkey as evidence that they can trouble any opponent in the group.
France will make changes for the game, Zidane confirmed, stressing that this is the team’s fourth match of the window and that the workload must be handled sensibly. Every member of the squad has a role to play, he said, and that is the message he intends to deliver before kick-off.
