Cristiano Ronaldo stayed on the bench, yet Portugal clinched a 2-1 win in Oslo thanks to Goncalo Ramos‘s decisive strike. Can the side flourish without their legend? Jorge Jesus’ squad has already amassed six points from the first two games of the Nations League.
Portugal opened scoring in the 17th minute when Joao Felix slipped a clever finish past Ørjan Nyland after a swift run down the flank. Norway answered early in the second half as Erling Haaland redirected Patrick Berg’s header from a Martin Odegaard free kick to level the match.
The celebration was short‑lived; a stray pass from Nyland fell to Ramos, who lofted it calmly over the vulnerable keeper to restore Portugal’s lead.
Ramos nearly doubled his tally moments later, seizing another Nyland error only to see it ruled offside. In my view, Portugal’s depth shines brighter than any single star. Diogo Costa stayed composed as Norway pressed late, preserving the advantage for Jesus’ men.
Ronaldo’s chase for 1,000 career goals is on pause—will he break the barrier before the season’s end?
Ronaldo’s quest for 1,000 career goals stalls after logging zero minutes, leaving him on 979 total goals—21 shy of the landmark, with 833 for clubs and 146 for Portugal. The break freezes his tally, but Jesus assures the veteran won’t be benched for long.
Jorge Jesus explains why he left Cristiano Ronaldo out against Norway
Ronaldo is slated to return for Portugal’s remaining fixtures this window, beginning with the clash versus Denmark on October 1 followed by a rematch with Norway on October 4, giving him several chances to close the gap before the international break ends.
Should he miss the mark this window, Ronaldo can still chase the milestone with Al Nassr when club action resumes, starting against Al Diriyah in the Saudi Pro League on October 9.