Ronaldo benched for first time in 18 years as Portugal wins in Norway

Cristiano Ronaldo did not play a single minute during Portugal’s victory in Norway (1-2) on Sunday evening in the Nations League. It is the first time in over 18 years that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has remained on the bench for the entirety of a competitive match with the national team — the last occurrence dated back to a Euro 2008 group-stage defeat against Switzerland (0-2).

Manager Jorge Jesus stood by this bold decision after the match. “I had thought about playing him, perhaps for half an hour, but the way the match unfolded decided otherwise. I felt it was not the right moment. It was not about managing him physically, because he was in full form to play for as long as I wished. It was a choice,” he said.

Cameras captured Ronaldo’s dark mood throughout the match. According to Portuguese sports daily A Bola, he reportedly went straight to the dressing room at the final whistle without greeting the supporters in the stands.

The result vindicated Jesus in any case: without their historic captain, the Portuguese secured three precious away points. CR7’s management will be closely scrutinized during the next two fixtures of this international break — an away trip to Denmark on Thursday and hosting Norway on Sunday.