Portugal crushes Denmark (4-2) and turns the page on Ronaldo without regret

Portugal swept Denmark 4-2 at Parken Stadium on Thursday in the Nations League, offering Jorge Jesus the best possible response the day after Cristiano Ronaldo’s thunderous departure from the squad. A convincing victory that, at least temporarily, relegated the psychodrama to the background.

On the pitch, the Seleção displayed a united and efficient face. Gonçalo Ramos, started at the tip of the attack, found the back of the net and was quick to extinguish any debate: “This story didn’t influence us. We want to win every match, and that’s what we did.” Francisco Trincão echoed the same sentiment, invoking the duty of national representation: “We represent the national team and Portugal, we must give our best.”

In midfield, Vitinha was one of the standout performers, scoring a header from a Bruno Fernandes assist. The PSG midfielder praised the collective response: “We tried to stay out of this story to focus on the match. It was an incredible performance.” Nuno Mendes summed up the group’s philosophy: “We focus on what the coach proposes for us. The rest is not up to us.”

Behind the scenes, the order for silence appeared firmly established. Renato Veiga, visibly uncomfortable, let the tension slip through: “I’m very close to Cris, but I received instructions not to talk about this subject,” said the Villarreal player before cutting himself short. Inheritor of the mythical number 7 for this match, Rafael Leão played the respect card without dwelling on it: “Cris is an idol for me. I tried to honour this shirt, but this situation doesn’t concern us. What matters most is the group.”

Facing the press, Jorge Jesus praised his players’ commitment while acknowledging Ronaldo’s untouchable stature in Portuguese football. The 72-year-old coach nevertheless closed the file until the end of the gathering: “For now, we have a match at the Dragão against Norway. After that, we’ll talk about this subject without skirting around it. What matters is that events don’t divide the group.”