Will new manager Jorge Jesus let Cristiano Ronaldo play tonight? The big question ahead of Portugal's Nations League opener

Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal future may have been debated since the World Cup, but there is little uncertainty about his immediate role under new manager Jorge Jesus. The 41-year-old captain is set to start against Wales in Lisbon on Thursday night as Portugal begin their defence of the UEFA Nations League title, with Jesus making clear that Ronaldo remains central to his plans despite the questions surrounding his place in the team.Jorge Jesus confirms Ronaldo will start against WalesJesus confirmed Ronaldo's place in the Portugal starting XI during his press conference on Wednesday, saying the veteran forward would play unless something unexpected happened before kick-off.“If nothing special happens today, Ronaldo plays tomorrow as a starter. I am in a national team that has the best players in the world, and whoever comes in comes in to win. In the Nations League we are the title holders, so we have to defend it,” Jesus said.The team retains much of the established core that featured at the World Cup, with Bruno Fernandes, Rúben Dias, Vitinha and João Neves among the players available to Jesus, while Diogo Costa is expected to start in goal.The match will be Ronaldo's first appearance for Portugal since their 1-0 defeat to Spain in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, with the tournament having already been confirmed as his final World Cup.Ronaldo did not announce his international retirement after that defeat, however, and his decision to continue has now been followed by Jesus making his own position clear.At his unveiling as Portugal manager in July, Jesus said Ronaldo would “never be a problem” for the national team and that he would continue selecting him while he remained available and met the conditions required by the team.“As long as he is playing and is in a condition to be selected, I will pick him, within certain limits and under the conditions that I consider best for the national team,” Jesus said at the time.The manager also has direct experience of working with Ronaldo, having coached him at Al-Nassr last season, when they won the Saudi Pro League.Ronaldo has since scored three goals in six Saudi Pro League appearances following the World Cup, although Al-Nassr have also suffered a heavy defeat in the Champions League.Jesus says Ronaldo is more than another player for PortugalThe decision to start Ronaldo is not simply based on his record, according to Jesus, who pointed to the veteran forward's importance to Portugal's supporters while stressing that his status does not guarantee him selection for every match.“Cris is a symbol of Portugal. That does not give him the right to play every game, but to give you an idea, we played a game in Hong Kong without him and there were 5,000 people; when he played there were 55,000,” Jesus said.“He plays tomorrow and I hope he scores one or two goals straight away and I take him off.”Jesus' comments come as debate continues over whether Portugal should move towards a team without Ronaldo, particularly after his three goals at this summer's World Cup, two of which came against Uzbekistan during the group stage.The Portugal manager has made clear that he is not allowing that debate to determine his selection.Ronaldo's own comments before the Wales match have also reinforced the idea that he does not expect his place to be protected simply because of his reputation.“The most important point is to be able, inside the pitch, to score goals and help the team to win games,” Ronaldo said.“If the manager doesn’t count on me, I can leave today—no problem at all. When I feel that I’m not doing anything here, that I’m not contributing on the pitch, not scoring goals, creating a bad atmosphere, or that they don’t want me here, I’ll be the first to pack my bags.”For now, Jesus clearly does count on him, and Ronaldo will therefore lead the Portugal attack at the José Alvalade Stadium.Portugal begin their Nations League title defence against WalesThe match against Wales kicks off at 7:45pm BST on Thursday, September 24, which is 12:15am IST on Friday, September 25 for viewers in India.It will be the first competitive match of Jesus' tenure as Portugal manager, with the 72-year-old having signed a four-year contract after Roberto Martínez stepped down following the World Cup.Portugal enter the new Nations League campaign as the reigning champions, having won the competition in 2019 and 2025.Ronaldo's selection means he will continue to add to a record international career that currently stands at 233 appearances and 146 goals for Portugal, both records in men's international football.He has also helped Portugal win the 2016 European Championship and the 2018-19 and 2024-25 Nations League titles, giving him another opportunity to add to that record with the current campaign.Wales, meanwhile, return to the top tier of the Nations League after failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup following a play-off defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina.Ronaldo has history against Wales as Portugal begin the new campaignPortugal and Wales have met only once in a competitive fixture, with Ronaldo playing a decisive role in their 2-0 victory in the Euro 2016 semi-final.Ronaldo scored the opening goal before setting up Nani for Portugal's second, helping his country reach the final and eventually win the European Championship.The two nations have not met competitively since, while their most recent meeting overall came in a friendly in 2000.Thursday's match therefore brings Ronaldo back to the stadium of Sporting, his first club, but the focus this time will be on what he can contribute under a new manager and with another international campaign beginning.Portugal will travel to Oslo to face Norway after the Wales fixture, before remaining in Scandinavia to play Denmark on October 1. They will then return home to face Norway again on October 4.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.