November 15, 2026
Jorge Jesus, coach of the Portuguese national team, downplayed the extent to which the team was affected by the absence of its former captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, in the wake of the heavy loss that the national team suffered to its Danish counterpart, 1-4, on Saturday evening, in the fifth round of the European Nations League competitions for the 2026-2027 season.
In press statements to the Portuguese newspaper “Apola”, Jesus responded to a question about whether the team misses Ronaldo’s services, saying: “Do I miss him? He is gone, so why should I miss him? Maybe just to console me, but he is no longer playing, and he is no longer here, and he has made his decision about his future.”
The coach’s statements come after the sudden decline in performance in the first match played by the Portuguese national team after Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on November 5th. The decision to retire came as a result of a dispute that broke out between the two parties, against the backdrop of the player’s exclusion from facing Norway during the previous international break, which Portugal decided in its favor with a score of 2-1.
The Danish match, which was hosted by Braga Stadium, witnessed a special tribute to Ronaldo before its start. His teammates wore national team shirts bearing the number 7 in tribute to his long international career. Despite this, the team presented a lackluster performance that angered the fans, who booed, at a time when they were anticipating an official celebration of clinching qualification to the quarter-finals of the continental championship.
