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Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus dismissed any lingering speculation about a Cristiano Ronaldo comeback following Saturday's record home loss to Denmark, firmly stating: "There's no turning back."
Ronaldo may not have been present in Braga for Portugal's first fixture since his sudden retirement earlier this month, yet his shadow loomed large over the entire evening.
The full Portuguese squad took to the pitch wearing 'Ronaldo 7' shirts, the last of their kind to feature the number in its standard form. Carlos Forbs's No. 7 jersey and all future versions of that number will permanently carry a small dash through them as a tribute to a player who had his own banners displayed in the stands on Saturday.
The giant screen embedded into the rugged rock face at one end of the stunning stadium paid tribute to the retired captain, drawing a mix of applause and jeers in the seventh minute.
By that stage, Denmark had already registered the game's opening shot, and moments later Rasmus Højlund blazed wide from close range. The self-proclaimed Ronaldo admirer would go on to net twice within seven second-half minutes after Pierre-Emile Højbjerg broke the deadlock from the penalty spot just before the interval. Joachim Andersen extended the lead to 4–0 in the 75th minute, and Bernardo Silva's late consolation did little to soften the blow of the result.
The 4–1 defeat stands as the heaviest competitive home loss in the 105-year history of the Portuguese men's national team. Predictably, the ghost of Ronaldo was raised with Jesus in the aftermath of this embarrassment. As usual, the no-nonsense tactician had little patience for it.
Spiky Jesus Hits Back at Ronaldo Questions
After witnessing Portugal endure a humiliation that Ronaldo never once faced across his 234 international appearances, Jesus was questioned on whether he missed the nation's all-time leading scorer.
"Missing him in what sense?" the 72-year-old, who had such a public falling-out with Ronaldo during his final international window, shot back. "He's no longer here. Missing him for what?
"He'd be good for keeping me company, but he no longer plays; he's gone, and he has already determined his own future."
Jesus did acknowledge that the Portuguese public might feel differently. "It's natural for people to miss him and not forget what Cristiano Ronaldo contributed to the national team over 23 years," the manager conceded, perhaps recalling the billboards that appeared last month criticizing his choice to drop the 41-year-old. Nevertheless, there would be no hasty reversal. "There's no turning back."
Portugal Slide Down FIFA Rankings Without Ronaldo
The loss to Denmark did not damage Portugal's chances of advancing to the Nations League quarterfinals. A perfect start to the group stage means Jesus's side have already secured at least second place and currently hold a three-point advantage over the Danes with one game left to play.
However, the defeat did push Portugal down from fifth to seventh in FIFA's official world rankings. The 2016 European champions now find themselves below Morocco and a Brazil side that has drawn with Australia and fallen to Japan since the World Cup.
Portugal had not dropped out of the top seven since September 2024, following a disappointing quarterfinal elimination by France at that summer's European Championship. Many anticipated Ronaldo would retire at that point, but Roberto Martínez had different plans, building the entire squad around the increasingly limited talisman.
Jesus has taken on the task of moving on from Ronaldo and is determined to make it a permanent separation.