Shipwreck. Christian’s Exhibition Ronaldo no Portugal-Gales devastated

Portugal entered, this Thursday, with the 'right foot' in the group stage of the new sports season of 2026/27 of the League of Nations, by taking the best over Wales, at the José Alvalade Stadium, by 1-0. João Félix scored, at 22 minutes, the goal that decided a game that was marked by Jorge Jesus' debut in the bench of alternates... and by an exhibition below the expectations of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The new national selector maintained the whole of Roberto Martínez and gave Al Nassr's player the responsibility of leading the attack front. However, this proved to be incapable of making a difference, and at the end of the 67 minutes it was replaced by Gonçalo Ramos, with a tremendous applause from the thousands of supporters present.

Much less lenient with his performance was the international sports press. Starting from the British newspaper Daily Mail, who pointed his finger at the “night of frustration” that the advanced lived in a ‘house’ that was once his, when passing by Sporting, with “a golden opportunity” wasted and yet a “stunned goal” by irregular position.

The television station Sky Sports, for his part, listed the only six highlight moments of CR7. More specifically, a “right to the barrier” free kick, at 36 minutes, a “in volley” shot that came out alongside, at 37, the “comfortable defense” that allowed Danny Ward, at 40, to fail, at 49, the cancelled goal, at 59... and the exit, at 67.

The French Channel RMC Sport he also spoke of “a disappointing night” of the captain of the team of quinas, who “played for more than an hour in Lisbon, after which he wasted a golden opportunity and then scored a goal that was, in the end, cancelled, out of play”, before giving the place to the gunner of AC Milan.

The Gaul portal Footmarket goes further, and adjects the exhibition of Cristiano Ronaldo of “shipwreck”, which enjoyed “a great number of occasions” that was not able to accomplish”, after, on the eve, “not having hesitated to criticize the Portuguese press” for the way it was treated.

Jorge Jesus does not ‘crucify’ Cristiano Ronaldo

Despite this ‘burden’ of criticism, the truth is that, at the press conference that followed the end, at the José Alvalade Stadium, the national selector, Jorge Jesus , ensured that the decision to replace Cristiano Ronaldo had nothing to do with what the advance did, within the four lines, and it was already planned.

“I took Ronaldo out when there were 25 minutes left because I thought it was important to have a cool and pressured player to defend, not let the central opponents build easily, and I knew Gonçalo would do it, even if he lost some technique in relation to Cris. Cris could stay another five or ten minutes,” he said.

It remains to be seen now whether the title of Madeira will remain in the next game, before Norway, which has an initial whistle scheduled for 7:45 p.m. (Hour of Continental Portugal) next Sunday, at Ullevaal Stadion, in Oslo.