Ronaldo left fuming? Portugal star skips fans after being benched for full game for first time in 18 years despite 2-1 win over Haaland’s Norway

Cristiano Ronaldo has spent most of his international career being almost impossible to leave out, making what happened in Oslo particularly unusual even before Portugal's 2-1 victory over Norway was complete. The 41-year-old arrived at Ullevaal Stadium with another Nations League appearance expected, but instead found himself watching events unfold from a position he has rarely occupied in a Portugal shirt.Ronaldo watches Portugal's win from the benchPortugal secured their second consecutive Nations League victory on Sunday, beating Norway 2-1 at the Ullevaal Stadion to move to the top of Group D after opening their campaign with a win over Wales last week.The surprise came when Jorge Jesus named his starting XI and Ronaldo was among the substitutes rather than the players taking the field.That was unusual enough, but Ronaldo’s night became even more surprising as the game unfolded. He was available for selection, took part in the warm-up and had been expected to play, yet never left the bench as Portugal saw out the full 90 minutes and secured the win.It brought an 18-year streak to an end.The last time Ronaldo had experienced a similar situation for Portugal was on June 15, 2008, when Luiz Felipe Scolari made several changes for a Euro 2008 group-stage match against Switzerland after Portugal had already secured their place in the quarter-finals. Portugal lost that game 2-0.From that night until September 27, 2026, Ronaldo had either started or entered the pitch as a substitute in every Portugal appearance.His unusual evening in Oslo ended one of the longest-running patterns of his international career, but Portugal showed they could still get the job done without their captain.Joao Felix opened the scoring before Erling Haaland equalised in the 51st minute, only for Goncalo Ramos to restore Portugal’s lead four minutes later after capitalising on an error from goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland. Ronaldo could only watch from the sidelines as Portugal held on to secure another three points.Jorge Jesus had planned to use RonaldoJesus had already explained before kick-off that leaving Ronaldo out of the starting line-up was part of managing his workload during a particularly demanding international window.Speaking to ESPN before the match, the Portugal manager said Ronaldo had played almost 70 minutes against Wales on Thursday and that he did not believe the forward could start two consecutive matches so soon after one another."Today is the third day. Ronaldo played nearly 70 minutes in the Wales match, and I felt he could not start two consecutive matches today," Jesus said."We want Ronaldo in these four matches, even if it is only for a few minutes, but we want him on the pitch."That suggested Ronaldo would still have a role to play in Oslo, with Jesus initially planning to bring him on during the second half.After the match, however, the manager explained that the situation on the pitch changed his plans."I had even agreed with him that he would come on for the final half-hour, but the match didn't require it," Jesus said at his post-match press conference.Goncalo Ramos' performance was particularly important to that decision. The forward had scored Portugal's second goal, while another effort had also been ruled out, and Jesus felt there was little reason to remove him from the game."Gonçalo Ramos was playing well, he had scored a goal, he had another one ruled out, and I felt it wasn't the right moment to take him off," the coach added.Jesus was also clear that Ronaldo had not been left out because of an injury or physical problem."It wasn't to protect him physically, because he was fit to play for as long as I wanted," he said.Ronaldo skips the fans' post-match celebrationThere was another unusual moment after the final whistle, when Ronaldo headed straight down the tunnel instead of joining his Portugal teammates on the pitch.According to O Jogo, the rest of the squad gathered to applaud the 500 travelling Portuguese supporters inside the Ullevaal Stadium, but Ronaldo was notably absent from the post-match appreciation.The incident quickly became another talking point surrounding an already unusual night for the Portugal captain, and Jesus was asked about it by three journalists during his post-match press conference.The manager admitted that he had not noticed Ronaldo's early departure at the time, but confirmed that he intended to speak privately with the captain about what had happened and about his responsibilities as the team's leader."Only he can answer that," Jesus said when asked about Ronaldo's decision not to join the players in front of the supporters.The manager's response also made clear that he did not regard Ronaldo's absence from the match as evidence that the forward had fallen out of his plans."Just because he didn't play today doesn't mean I'm not counting on him," Jesus said.Jesus reiterated that Ronaldo had been expected to enter the match before the circumstances on the pitch changed his thinking, particularly with Ramos performing well and Portugal holding the advantage."I told him I'd put him in, but I didn't think it justified making the change to a striker with Cris's characteristics," Jesus said.Ronaldo could return against DenmarkThe decision also meant that Ronaldo went two years without making a substitute appearance for Portugal, despite his extraordinary consistency with the national team.His previous appearance as a substitute came on September 8, 2024, when Roberto Martinez brought him on against Scotland in the Nations League. Ronaldo subsequently scored an 88th-minute winner in Portugal's 2-1 victory.Against Norway, Jesus instead selected Ramos at centre-forward, with Felix and Joao Neves also starting in the attacking line.The plan worked, with both Felix and Ramos finding the net while Portugal collected another important result in Group D.Norway, meanwhile, started Haaland after the Manchester City striker had scored twice in his country's 3-2 victory over Denmark on Thursday. Haaland did get his goal against Portugal, but Ramos' response four minutes later ultimately decided the match.Ronaldo's absence therefore did not signal that he had lost his place in the side, with the circumstances pointing instead towards careful management during a congested international window.Jesus has already indicated that Ronaldo could return when Portugal face Denmark on October 1, before the schedule offers another opportunity for the long-awaited meeting between Ronaldo and Haaland when Portugal host 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.