Portugal without Cristiano Ronaldo worked, at least for the moment, and the 4-2 win over Denmark has made coach Jorge Jesus stand firm in his position, but in the meantime the team is divided and the players have been silenced by the Federation to speak out on the issue, as Renato Veiga has revealed.
Tensions flared after the 41-year-old striker was pulled out of the squad just 24 hours before the match in reaction to Jesus' decision to leave him on the bench again. The impressive 4-2 Nations League victory over Denmark was overshadowed by the drama that continues to engulf the Selecao dressing room.
Portugal defender Renato Veiga was prevented from speaking on the matter, subject to strict media guidelines from federation officials in the interview area. He remained silent when asked about leaving the squad due to a selection dispute with Jorge Jesus of the 41-year-old phenomenon.
Veiga glanced at a federation press officer before clarifying his position: "I'm very close to Cristiano Ronaldo and he knows I have a lot of love for him, but I've been told I can't speak on this issue, so... I can't speak on this, I'm sorry, I really can't speak." The young centre-back followed strict orders from the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) to avoid commenting on his captain's internal conflict after the valuable away win in Copenhagen.
"Cristiano Ronaldo sabe que tenho um carinho muito grande por ele" 🎙️
— A BOLA (@abolapt) October 2, 2026
Renato Veiga seemed to want to speak about the polemica do capitão na zona mista, mas foi impedido pela FPF. #RenatoVeiga #CR7 #Portugal pic.twitter.com/4HmXpn16rm
