Portuguese media deliver damning Ronaldo verdict as Portugal thrive without him

Cristiano Ronaldo’s international future is under serious scrutiny after he abandoned Portugal’s Nations League camp midway through a four-match break, with Portuguese media delivering a blunt assessment of his standing in the squad following a 4-2 victory over Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday.

Ronaldo had been left on the bench for Portugal’s narrow win over Norway, and his frustration boiled over into a public Instagram post before he departed the camp. “In time, I will tell all the Portuguese the truth about the reasons that motivated me to leave the national team, to which I always devoted myself,” the 41-year-old wrote. “Now is the time to wish Portugal and all my teammates good luck, without exception.”

In his absence, Rafael Leao wore the iconic No.7 shirt in Copenhagen, and it was Joao Felix who stole the headlines. The former Chelsea forward scored for the third consecutive game — coming off the bench late on — as Portugal led 2-1 at half-time before Rasmus Hojlund briefly levelled for Denmark. Two further second-half goals sealed a comfortable win that made Portugal the first team to reach nine points in any group in the current Nations League edition.

Portuguese outlet Record framed the result as the beginning of a new chapter. “He seems to have ushered in a new era for the National Team,” their verdict on Felix read. “In the first match following the Cristiano Ronaldo saga, the Portuguese ship remains steady even without the captain. It was the 66th time Portugal took the field without the star player since his debut in August 2003, and the positive trend continued.”

Manager Jorge Jesus, speaking to TSF, called the Denmark win the best of his team’s three performances during the break, but declined to address the Ronaldo situation directly, saying he would do so only after Sunday’s home fixture against Norway. “Because they have so much individual quality, things come more easily,” he said of his squad. “If you think this means having the group under control, then I have the group under control. They’re all going hand in hand with me on my ideas.”

The silence around Ronaldo extended to the players themselves. Defender Renato Veiga, speaking to Mais Futebol, revealed he had been explicitly told not to discuss the matter. “I’m very close to Cris and he knows I have a great affection for him, but I’ve been told I can’t talk about the matter. I can’t, I’m sorry,” Veiga said.

O Jogo praised the togetherness Portugal showed amid the off-field noise, with the squad appearing to close ranks around Jesus as the debate over Ronaldo’s international future intensifies ahead of Sunday’s clash with Norway.