Portugal Coach Wants to Take Ronaldo Off After One or Two Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo may no longer have the same pace he possessed at his peak, but his hunger for goals remains unchanged. As the 41-year-old forward continues his pursuit of 1,000 career goals, new Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has revealed an interesting plan for managing his captain’s playing time.

Jesus suggested that if Ronaldo scores one or two goals quickly, he could be taken off the pitch rather than being asked to play the full 90 minutes.

Ronaldo spoke about his ambitions of reaching the 1,000-goal milestone and winning a third Nations League title during the Portugal Football Summit on Wednesday. Later, Jesus faced several questions about the veteran forward at his press conference.

Asked whether Ronaldo would play the entire match, Jesus gave a measured response, emphasizing that while Ronaldo remains a symbol of Portuguese football, his status does not automatically mean he must play every minute.

“He is a symbol of Portugal. But that does not give him the right to play every match.”

Jesus Expects Quick Goals From Ronaldo

Jesus then explained his thinking with an example. He pointed out the difference in attendance when Ronaldo does and does not play for Portugal.

According to the coach, around 5,000 fans attended a Portugal match in Hong Kong without Ronaldo, while the attendance rose to around 55,000 when the superstar featured.

Jesus joked that he would be happy if Ronaldo could score quickly before being substituted.

“Tomorrow he will play, score one or two goals quickly and then I can take him off.”

The comments indicate that Jesus does not intend to keep Ronaldo on the pitch for the full 90 minutes by default. Instead, he appears prepared to manage the veteran captain’s minutes depending on the circumstances of the game.

Portugal Begin Nations League Campaign Against Wales

Portugal will begin their Nations League campaign against Wales on Thursday at home. The team is scheduled to play three more matches during the current international window.

For Ronaldo, the fixtures provide another opportunity to add to his international goals tally as he continues his pursuit of 1,000 career goals while Portugal target further Nations League success.