Cristiano Ronaldo misses Portugal training after benching by Jorge Jesus

Ronaldo Absence and Training Status

The all-time top scorer in men’s international football has not trained with the squad since Sunday’s match against Norway, focusing solely on gym work, according to the Portuguese Football Federation. Ronaldo was left on the bench during the fixture as Portugal secured the 2-1 victory. Ahead of the Norway fixture, Jorge Jesus—who succeeded Roberto Martínez at the helm following the World Cup—stated his intention to spare the forward from excessive fatigue during a uniquely packed international window comprising four matches across 11 days.

Jesus intended to give Ronaldo minutes against Norway, but match circumstances prevented it. Immediately after the match, Jesus addressed reports that the forward was upset by stating he would talk to him. Local media in Portugal subsequently reported that federation president Pedro Proença traveled to speak with Ronaldo and Jesus following claims of discontent over the omission. The governing body merely stated that Proença was travelling with the group in Sweden as preparations take shape for Thursday’s upcoming Nations League match against Denmark.

Squad Standing and Upcoming Fixtures

Portugal currently leads Group A4 of the Nations League with six points from two matches, sitting three points ahead of both Denmark and Norway, while Wales sits at the bottom of the group without a point. Ronaldo started in Portugal’s 1-0 win over Wales, being substituted in the 67th minute of that fixture. Following Thursday’s match in Sweden, Portugal is scheduled to host Norway on Sunday.

Pursuit of Career Milestones

The current international camp coincides with Ronaldo’s stated pursuit of reaching 1,000 career goals and winning a third Nations League title with the national team. Speaking to reporters last week, Ronaldo outlined his goals for this era under Jorge Jesus.

One goal is to achieve both – reaching 1,000 goals and the national team trying to win this Nations League. It’s a new era with manager Jorge Jesus, whom we all know well; I just hope things go well for him.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo, who holds 146 international goals for Portugal, added that achieving the milestone in national team colors would represent the culmination of something – a beautiful story. On Tuesday, he posted a picture on Instagram wearing his national kit alongside the Portuguese flag and a heart emoji.