Portugal brushed aside the controversy over Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit and claimed a 4-2 win against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday.
Joao Felix sealed the victory late in the second half, after the hosts had twice come from behind to draw level.
With the build-up to the match overshadowed by five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo’s abrupt departure from the team’s training camp on Wednesday, coach Jorge Jesus said before kick-off that he simply wanted his players “to focus on the match.”
His team gave no indication of being thrown off by the commotion caused by the 41-year-old’s walk-out, which came after Jesus announced that Ronaldo would not start against Denmark.
Portugal’s all-time leading scorer had already sat out the entire 2-1 Nations League victory in Norway on Sunday, after captaining the team in last Thursday’s 1-0 home win over Wales.
“Following the national team coach’s press conference, and after having a conversation with the Portuguese Football Federation president, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.
“In due course, I will tell the truth to all the Portuguese people about my reasons for leaving the national team, to which I have always been dedicated.”
Jesus himself stated on Thursday, “After (the match), we’ll definitely have time to talk about” the situation.
On the field, Joao Cancelo put Portugal ahead within 13 minutes, before Mikkel Damsgaard curled in an equalizer 10 minutes later.
Goncalo Ramos justified Jesus’s decision to start him up front once more by restoring his country’s lead two minutes later with a neat near-post finish.
Rasmus Hojlund leveled for Denmark early in the second half, but Paris Saint-Germain’s key man, Vitinha, headed the visitors back in front in the 57th minute.
Substitute Felix then slotted home at the end of a quick counter-attack with three minutes left, handing new boss Jesus a third win from his first three matches.
