Jorge Jesus became the first Portugal national team manager in two years to name Cristiano Ronaldo as a substitute for Sunday’s Nations League clash with Norway. The veteran coach took the even rarer approach of leaving his country’s all-time top scorer on the bench throughout a 2–1 win due to the flow of the contest—much to the surprise, and distaste it would appear, of his compatriot.
The millstone of Ronaldo has hung around the neck of Portugal for years. At 41, almost four years since he last featured in one of Europe’s top five leagues, the increasingly immobile striker has become more of a hindrance than a help for many national team coaches.
