Cristiano Ronaldo snubs fans after rare benching in Portugal win
Cristiano Ronaldo spent an entire competitive international match on the bench for the first time in 18 years, later heading straight to the tunnel while teammates thanked travelling supporters.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Author: Ludovic Péron
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo drew attention after Sunday's 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory over Norway in Oslo. Head coach Jorge Jesus opted to keep the 41-year-old on the bench for the entire 90 minutes. This marked the first time in 18 years that Ronaldo watched a full competitive international match from the sidelines; the last instance occurred during Euro 2008.
Following the final whistle, Ronaldo bypassed the post-match fan appreciation, heading straight down the tunnel while his teammates remained on the pitch to applaud the travelling supporters. Jorge Jesus noted he did not notice the departure at the time and intends to hold a private conversation with his captain regarding the incident.
Only he can answer that. The fact is that just because he didn't play today doesn't mean I'm not counting on him. I told him I'd put him in, but I didn't think it justified making the change to a striker with Cris's characteristics. Jorge Jesus
The manager defended his tactical approach, emphasizing that the match flow did not require Ronaldo's specific profile. Jesus reiterated that the decision does not indicate a diminished status for the Al-Nassr forward. Portugal now looks ahead to their next fixture against Denmark, where Ronaldo is expected to be a primary candidate for the starting lineup as the team seeks to solidify their top spot in the group.