Despite His Age, Ronaldo Remains a Symbol of Portugal
Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has praised Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the national team’s UEFA Nations League opener against Wales on Friday morning WIB, insisting the veteran forward remains a symbol of Portuguese football despite turning 41.
Portugal will face the Dragons at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in their opening Group D fixture, with Ronaldo expected to lead the line once again. Jesus is already familiar with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, having previously worked with him at Al-Nassr and guided the Riyadh-based club to the Saudi Pro League title last season.
Speaking during the Portugal Football Summit, Jesus highlighted Ronaldo’s enormous influence on the identity and global appeal of the national team. He pointed to an example from their time at Al-Nassr, when the club’s visit to Hong Kong saw attendance increase dramatically from around 3,000 supporters to 55,000.
While Jesus acknowledged Ronaldo’s immense influence, particularly from a commercial and marketing perspective, he stopped short of guaranteeing that the veteran will continue to play every minute of every match.
“Cristiano is a symbol of Portugal and the national team. However, that is not necessarily enough to guarantee that he will play regularly. I hope he can score one or two goals in the game tomorrow,” Jesus said, as reported by Goal International.
The Portugal coach is also considering a slightly different tactical approach as he begins his second spell working with Ronaldo. The team could use a defensive midfielder alongside a supporting forward, potentially creating a structure designed to maximise the qualities of the experienced captain.
Ronaldo’s leadership is expected to remain important regardless of the tactical changes. However, Jesus stressed that his assessment of the squad will be based on current performances rather than previous achievements.
Portugal enter the Nations League as defending champions and will face a demanding Group D schedule. Alongside Wales, they will meet Norway twice and Denmark during the group stage.
Their campaign will begin at the Jose Alvalade, with the group fixtures continuing through the beginning of October. Ronaldo’s role will naturally attract much of the attention, but Jesus appears determined to balance the veteran’s influence with the needs of a team entering a new chapter.
For now, Portugal will look to their captain for experience and leadership as they begin their title defence, while Jesus prepares to assess how his team adapts to his tactical ideas on the international stage.
