Jorge Jesus Confirms Ronaldo Will Start Portugal’s Nations League Opener
Portugal will begin their UEFA Nations League title defence against Wales on Thursday with Cristiano Ronaldo set to lead the line, after new head coach Jorge Jesus confirmed the 41-year-old captain will start at Estadio Jose Alvalade.
What changed for the club
Jesus, 72, has taken charge of Portugal after previously working with Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. His first selection has immediately drawn attention to the role of the national side’s long-serving captain, but the coach insisted Ronaldo remains central to Portugal while making clear that reputation will not decide every future team sheet.
“Cris represents Portugal and the national team,” Jesus said at the Portugal Football Summit. “That by itself does not mean he has to play every time.”
Jesus recalled Al-Nassr’s visit to Hong Kong as an illustration of Ronaldo’s reach, saying a match played without the forward attracted 3,000 spectators before a Ronaldo appearance drew a capacity crowd of 55,000. The Portugal coach said he hopes his captain can mark Thursday’s opener with one or two goals.
Ronaldo, already the leading scorer in international football, is expected to spearhead the attack as Portugal begin life under a new manager. Jesus has stressed, however, that continued involvement across the campaign will depend on present form rather than previous achievements.
Competition context
Portugal enter Nations League Group A4 as defending champions and will seek a positive first result under Jesus against a Wales side expected to provide a disciplined test in Lisbon.
The new coach intends to retain the established strengths of the Portugal squad while introducing his own ideas. His preferred structure includes a specialist holding midfielder and a second forward alongside the main striker, with Jesus confident that the players can absorb those changes quickly.
- Competition: UEFA Nations League
- Group: A4
- Opening opponent: Wales
- Venue: Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon
- Portugal captain: Cristiano Ronaldo
What is scheduled next
Portugal face Wales on Thursday in Jesus’ first competitive match in charge. The next Group A4 fixture will take the holders to Estadio do Dragao, where they are scheduled to meet Norway.
For Jesus, the immediate task is to combine Ronaldo’s leadership and scoring threat with the tactical adjustments he wants to make as Portugal pursue another Nations League title.
