Nations League: Portugal through to the quarter-finals without Ronaldo, and the door is open

Portugal closed their October window with a 2-1 win over Norway at the Estádio do Dragão on Sunday: twelve points from twelve and first place in the quarter-finals, which are played in March. The holders have won all four of their Nations League matches, the last three without Cristiano Ronaldo playing a minute.

The window also took a quiet farewell: Edin Džeko retired from international football on Friday, after a 152nd cap for Bosnia and Herzegovina against Sweden (1-1, Zenica). Seventy-three goals since June 2007, and one thing shared with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo: the three of them are the only players to have scored at least one international goal in each of the last twenty years.

Ronaldo left the squad on 30 September, the day before the trip to Denmark. Three days earlier in Norway he had stayed on the bench for the full match, an unused substitute in a competitive game for the first time since 2008. When he learned in a press conference that he would not start a second straight match, he left the camp and saved his version of events for a statement still to come. His last Portugal appearance remains the 1-0 over Wales on 24 September in Lisbon.

In the dressing room, the subject is handled quietly: Renato Veiga admitted he had received instructions not to talk about it.

Jesus, Proença, Cancelo: the same call for his return

Jorge Jesus closed the matter in one line on Sunday: “If he wants to, he’ll return to the national team.” The coach calls it a misunderstanding, says Ronaldo will be called up for the November window and leaves the choice to the player. Federation president Pedro Proença has taken the same line, calling Ronaldo an integral part of the national team, “the greatest symbol of Portuguese identity”. João Cancelo, on the scoresheet against Norway, backed his captain: “He is the best of all time.” According to Foot Mercato, relaying L’Équipe, a farewell match is under discussion; nothing is settled on the federation’s side.

The attack already works without him

Gonçalo Ramos, starting through the middle, scored again on Sunday, and Norway have now lost 2-1 to Portugal twice in eight days. At kick-off Portugal were priced at 1.75 with Betano: the market made them winners a little more often than one match in two, misunderstanding or not. Ronaldo’s promised statement and the November window, Denmark at home on the 14th and then a trip to Wales on the 17th, come next. Until then, every price on Portugal carries that doubt.