Portugal FA chief holds urgent talks after Cristiano Ronaldo left out against Norway

Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca has held an urgent meeting in an attempt to resolve Cristiano Ronaldo’s anger after the Al Nassr forward remained on the bench throughout Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway in the Nations League.

Ronaldo had not expected to spend the entire match as a substitute, according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, which reported that Proenca intervened to contain the situation.

The 40-year-old’s frustration followed comments from Portugal manager Jorge Jesus before the match that Ronaldo would feature even if he was not selected in the starting line-up.

Ronaldo and Jesus have since exchanged views, in what A Bola described as a positive step towards resolving the issue.

Jesus said after the match that he had planned to use Ronaldo but decided against it because of the way the game developed.

“I was thinking of bringing Ronaldo on for half an hour, but the course of the match dictated other things, and I felt it was not the right time to bring him on,” Jesus told Portuguese broadcaster RPT.

Portugal secured victory against their hosts in Oslo in the second round of the competition. The result leaves them top of Group D with six points, while Norway and Denmark have three points each and Wales remain bottom without a point.

It was the first time in two years, and only the second occasion since the 2022 World Cup, that Ronaldo had started a Portugal match on the substitutes’ bench.

Jesus had also decided to replace Ronaldo during Portugal’s opening-round match against Wales, bringing him off in the 67th minute.

Explaining that decision at the time, the manager said: “I thought it was important to have a fresh player, a player capable of pressing the opponent.”

Despite the latest omission, Ronaldo remains part of the Portugal squad under Jesus, who took charge of the team before the opening Nations League fixtures. His absence against Norway came after the manager had publicly indicated that he expected to involve him during the game.

Portugal’s victory in Oslo was secured by a 2-1 scoreline, with Norway suffering defeat in the second round. The group standings now place Portugal three points clear at the top, followed by Norway and Denmark, while Wales have yet to collect a point.