Jorge Jesus explains reason for substituting Cristiano Ronaldo against Wales

Jorge Jesus, the coach of Portugal, explained the reason for substituting captain Cristiano Ronaldo during the 1-0 win against Wales in the first round of the UEFA Nations League.

Cristiano Ronaldo started the match but had a difficult evening, missing an easy chance in the 49th minute from a cross by João Neves, before scoring a goal in the 59th minute that was ruled out for offside.

Jesus decided to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo in the 68th minute for Gonçalo Ramos, citing tactical reasons, especially with the Portugal national team needing a player more capable of pressing the Welsh defenders.

Jesus said: "This is what the match required. There were 25 minutes left, and I was thinking of bringing in a fast player in the first defensive line, capable of pressing the centre-backs. Cristiano can no longer do that, and I knew he could not offer much offensively anymore."

He added: "That’s why I thought about bringing on Gonçalo Ramos specifically to pressure the first defensive line and prevent Wales from easily playing out from the back. Gonçalo did a good job, but he didn’t get many touches on the ball."

Despite not scoring, Ronaldo received support from his teammates, with João Neves praising him after the match, saying: "You know that when Cristiano doesn't score, it's not the same as when he does, but he was excellent, and the goals will come."