Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in France’s 1-0 Nations League victory over Turkey but left the match early due to a knee injury, raising concerns ahead of the team’s upcoming fixtures. The game in Turkey saw France hold on despite being pressed by a ten-man Turkish side after goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir was sent off late for handling the ball outside his area. Meanwhile, Italy faced a difficult start under manager Roberto Mancini, losing 2-0 at home to Belgium in Rome.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, was unable to find the net in Thursday’s win against Wales, as he missed several opportunities and had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside. Despite his frustrating outing, teammate Ruben Neves expressed confidence in Ronaldo’s ability to bounce back ahead of Portugal’s crucial match against Norway in Oslo. Neves highlighted Ronaldo’s experience and goal-scoring prowess, noting that the forward’s goals will come naturally. “Cristiano is experienced enough to deal with this kind of stuff. The goals will appear naturally. He is a killer inside the box,” Neves said, adding that the team hopes to prevail in the showdown with Norway’s Erling Haaland.
Haaland, who scored twice in Norway’s 3-2 Nations League win over Denmark, will face Portugal days after Manchester City was found guilty of multiple Premier League financial rule breaches. The Norway manager, Stale Solbakken, praised Haaland’s natural goal-scoring instincts and physical attributes, calling him “unique” and emphasizing that scoring is instinctive for the striker. At 26, Haaland is still considered to be approaching his peak.
Ronaldo, who has scored 979 career goals, admitted before the Wales match that he contemplated retiring from international football following Portugal’s exit from the World Cup. However, he remains motivated to reach 1,000 career goals and continues to receive strong support from fans and teammates. He was met with a standing ovation upon his substitution during the match against Wales. Neves, a former Wolves midfielder now playing for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, described Ronaldo as “a symbol of Portugal” and underscored his importance to the national team despite not scoring in the recent game.
Bruno Fernandes, another key Portugal player, spoke about the tactical adjustments that involved playing on the left side to create opportunities for Ronaldo. Fernandes acknowledged Ronaldo’s movement and finishing abilities as among the best globally and emphasized the team’s goal of creating as many chances as possible for the veteran striker.
Portugal are the current holders of the UEFA Nations League, having won the tournament in 2019 and 2023. Neves expressed the squad’s ambition to defend their title under the guidance of head coach Jorge Jesus, describing it as a key objective for the team moving forward.