Ronaldo walks straight to tunnel after rare night on the bench
Cristiano Ronaldo headed directly to the dressing room when the referee blew the final whistle in Oslo, skipping the post-match acknowledgment of the roughly 500 Portugal supporters who had made the trip. The Portugal captain, an unused substitute in the 2-1 victory over Norway, did not join his teammates as they applauded the travelling fans at the Ullevaal Stadion. Videos circulating on social media show the 41-year-old forward leaving the pitch immediately after the match ended.
Eighteen years since last benching without minutes
Ronaldo's night on the sidelines marked the first time in 18 years that he failed to enter a competitive international match as a substitute. According to football statistician MisterChip, the previous occasion was 15 June 2008, when Portugal lost 2-0 to Switzerland in the group stage of the Euro 2008, under manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Jorge Jesus: "Only he can answer"
Portugal manager Jorge Jesus addressed the situation in his post-match press conference. The manager said he had not noticed Ronaldo's early departure and would speak with the player.
"I didn't realise that," Jesus said when asked about Ronaldo bypassing the fan acknowledgment. "Only he can answer that."
Jesus explained that Ronaldo's omission was a tactical decision rather than a fitness concern. The forward had played nearly 70 minutes against Wales three days earlier.
"I was thinking of putting him on, maybe in the last half hour, but the game dictated other things and I didn't think it was the moment to bring him on," Jesus told reporters. "He was in condition to play the time I wanted. It was my choice."
Jesus stressed that Ronaldo remains central to his plans: "It doesn't mean he won't be first choice against Denmark."
Tactical decision ahead of Denmark clash
Portugal's match against Norway, part of the Nations League group stage, saw goals from João Félix and Gonçalo Ramos secure the three points. Erling Haaland scored for the hosts.
Jesus made four changes from the side that started against Wales, bringing in João Palhinha, João Neves, and Francisco Conceição. The manager indicated he may shuffle the lineup again when Portugal face Denmark on Thursday.
The Portugal squad travels to Malmö, Sweden on Monday to prepare for the Denmark match in Copenhagen. Bruno Fernandes missed the Norway game through injury and remains a doubt for the next fixture.
Ødegaard praises former teammate
Before the match, Norway captain Martin Ødegaard spoke warmly of Ronaldo, his former Real Madrid teammate. The Arsenal midfielder called Ronaldo "one of the best of all time" and credited him with helping him adjust to life at the Spanish club as a 16-year-old.
"He took great care of me and helped me a lot," Ødegaard told Norwegian broadcaster TV2, noting Ronaldo's professionalism and approach to big games.
