According to Portuguese newspaper Record, Portugal secured an important victory in Oslo, which is undoubtedly one of the most difficult away grounds in European football today. After narrowly earning three points against Wales, Jorge Jesus made significant adjustments to the national team, which paid dividends. But is it fair to attribute all positive results solely to Ronaldo's absence from the starting lineup? A football match cannot be determined by a single factor.

Portugal secured a major victory in Oslo because Ullevaal Stadium is now one of the most inhospitable venues for visiting teams in European football. After narrowly earning three points against a Welsh team no longer at its peak at Estádio José Alvalade, Jorge Jesus implemented significant tactical adjustments to the national team, with excellent results.

But is it fair to attribute all the positive changes simply to the fact that Ronaldo is on the bench? A football match is not determined by a single factor, so those who try to oversimplify and comment based solely on this reason will undoubtedly find that approach inadequate.

The real issue runs much deeper, relating primarily to how Portugal, with eleven fit players, can press high, disrupt the opposition's build-up play, and win the ball earlier. This style of play, more aligned with modern elite teams, cannot function with ten men doing the work of eleven; it requires cooperation, unity, and commitment.

With Ronaldo on the pitch, Portugal's defensive work started approximately ten meters behind the midline; without him, Portugal could begin pressing directly near the opposition's penalty area. Make no mistake, this is not a minor detail but a major tactical shift that affects the game's fundamentals and tactical logic. The point is that Ronaldo, at 41, no longer possesses his physical condition of years past. Does this mean he shouldn't be called up anymore? Given that he can still contribute meaningfully in 15 or 20 minutes of intense play; given the motivational effect he can have on his teammates when in the right mindset; and given the psychological and tactical pressure he exerts on opponents, Ronaldo still holds value for Portugal—and shouldn't be "rewarded" with a starting place simply because of the immense contributions he's made to the nation over the past 23 years.

The question is whether Ronaldo himself will accept the reality as I've described it, or if he still believes he should be "Ronaldo plus ten" among the eleven. Only he can answer that.

After the victory against Wales, it was written that this Nations League would be a transitional tournament for Portugal, as they no longer have a player capable of carrying the entire team on his shoulders. I hope Ronaldo can contribute to the generational change within the national team by using his presence off the pitch to demonstrate the greatness he once possessed on it.

Unlike their Latin counterparts, the Portuguese have the unfortunate habit of downplaying their own achievements. If we top an international ranking, someone will say the ranking is unreliable; if we receive international awards, someone will say the awards are meaningless; if someone says we're among the world's safest countries, it must only be because they haven't read our tabloids. This self-deprecation even spares the Age of Discoveries, and though we opened new worlds to the world, we're compelled by a fervor of negativism to misinterpret history, to explain 15th-century realities through 21st-century standards.

The same applies to sport, as the Nations League demonstrates: we were able to win this competition twice only because its level wasn't high; even if all national teams fielded their best squads, stadiums were full, and television audiences were high, it wouldn't change this obsession with mediocrity. For those who are stubborn and refuse to acknowledge our moments of excellence, the thrilling clash between England and Spain today (also in the Nations League) might make them reconsider the value of the Nations League, though one can never "wake those pretending to sleep."

Traduit par IA.

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