Portugal have a genuine centre-forward call before Denmark vs Portugal, and the Norway game gives Gonçalo Ramos a strong case. He scored once, but the bigger point was what he did without the ball. Cristiano Ronaldo left Oslo after the final whistle and did not join the usual greetings at the centre of the pitch.

Ramos's all-round work against Norway

Ramos finished with 5 defensive actions, 17 duels contested, 7 duels won and 3 ball recoveries against Norway. He also took 2 shots, with 1 on target, and completed 9 accurate passes at 69% accuracy. That is the sort of output that helps a coach when the argument is not just about who scores, but who helps Portugal compete higher up the pitch.

Ronaldo's numbers against Wales were very different. He had 0 goals, 7 shots, 2 on target, 14 accurate passes and 82% pass accuracy, but he also had 0 defensive actions, 1 duel won and 0 ball recoveries. He was caught offside 3 times, which added to a flat night in the all-round phase of the game.

The one-goal gap is not the whole story, and it is not just about age either. Ramos, at 25, gave Portugal more work outside the box, while Ronaldo, at 41, was used in a planned half-hour window against Norway.

Ronaldo's exit leaves Jorge Jesus with a management issue

There is also the reaction after the final whistle. Ronaldo did not thank the fans present at Ullevaal Stadion, and Jorge Jesus said, in comments translated from Portuguese by A Bola, "I will have to speak with the forward." Jesus also framed the unused substitute role around "the circumstances of the game".

A Bola's reporting leaves room for two readings of Ronaldo's exit. One is frustration, because he went straight down the tunnel and skipped the usual round of greetings. The other is softer, because he was also reported to have raised a fist in apparent celebration and later appeared smiling in training images.

Jesus has not closed the door on Ronaldo for Denmark vs Portugal, and that is why the debate still matters. The data from Norway favours Ramos, but the final decision now sits with a coach who has to handle both the performance case and the response to it.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →