The drama surrounding Ronaldo in Portugal’s squad eased on Tuesday night after a tense day that even drew in the federation president. Did the federation finally step in?
‘Ronaldo’s sulk is over,’ reported O Jogo, noting the star’s mood lifted Tuesday. Upset after warming up but not playing in the 1‑2 Norway win on Sunday, the Al‑Nassr forward skipped Tuesday’s training, sparking a crisis for Jorge Jesus’s Seleçao.
The discussion went smoothly.
Jesus had accused Ronaldo of breaking his promise to bring him on for the final 30 minutes. The two met late Tuesday at the team hotel in Malmö, Sweden, ahead of Thursday’s 20:45 Nations League tie with Denmark. A Bola says the talk went smoothly, leaving a positive vibe that should soothe the post‑Norway unrest.
The federation chief reshuffled his itinerary to soothe the dispute.
After the Norway triumph, Jesus explained why he left the five‑time Ballon d’Or on the bench, having already swapped him out against Wales (1‑0). ‘We agreed he’d come on for the last half‑hour, but the match flow didn’t demand it,’ he said. ‘Gonçalo Ramos was on fire, scored and missed another chance, so I kept the balance. Ronaldo was fit and could have played longer, but I needed another option to secure the result. It doesn’t mean he’s excluded – he may feature against Denmark.’
Ronaldo and Jesus may address the media together on Wednesday.
Furious, CR7 skipped the post‑match celebrations. On Tuesday he showed up for the training session but left before it started, heading back to the hotel for gym work. To defuse the flare‑up, federation president Pedro Proença abandoned his planned trip to the Azores and flew privately to Scandinavia, arriving in Denmark at 02:40 to intervene. The later talk between the star and Jesus appears to have restored a tentative calm.
Ronaldo and his teammates are due in Copenhagen Wednesday, and the forward might even join a press conference with Jesus that evening.