Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Portugal’s starting lineup for the trip to face Norway, a surprising call given the magnitude of the matchup against Erling Haaland’s side in Oslo. The decision comes after Ronaldo was already substituted off during Portugal’s 1-0 win over Wales in the opening game of this Nations League campaign.
There’s no injury or fitness concern behind the call, with the decision described as purely tactical. Jorge Jesus simply believes he has a better option to start than Ronaldo, who has gone scoreless in his last two appearances for Portugal, and has moved Goncalo Ramos into the striker role in his place.
At the same time, the timing lines up with Portugal facing four matches during this extended international break, giving Jesus a reasonable case for resting the 41-year-old even in a high-profile fixture like this one.
Jesus has managed Ronaldo for years at Al Nassr, and that experience likely plays into knowing when the veteran could benefit from a breather, even if benching him against Haaland specifically comes as a shock.
*Developing story
