Cristiano Ronaldo found himself in the spotlight despite not playing a single minute in Portugal’s victorious UEFA Nations League match in Norway. Remaining on the bench throughout the game, the Portuguese captain’s historic streak came to an end.
For the first time in 18 years, Cristiano Ronaldo was included in a national team squad but did not get any playing time.
The last occasion this happened was on June 15, 2008, during the group stage of Euro 2008. Portugal had already secured a place in the quarterfinals, prompting coach Luis Felipe Scolari to make several changes for the match against Switzerland.
Against Norway, Ronaldo even warmed up towards the end of the match, suggesting he might enter the field, but Jorge Jesus ultimately altered his plans.
“I had even arranged with him that he would come on in the last half hour, but the match didn’t require it,” Jorge Jesus explained during the post-match press conference.
Related Stories
