Cristiano Ronaldo insists he still has plenty to offer Portugal, and that gives Thursday’s Portugal Vs Wales meeting in Lisbon an unusual extra layer. As Portugal begin their Nations League title defence and Jorge Jesus takes charge for the first time, the captain’s chase of 1,000 career goals has turned a routine group match into something more closely watched.
Portugal faced Wales at Estadio Jose Alvalade on Thursday, September 24, with kick-off at 7:45pm ET, 18:45 GMT and 15:45 GMT. It was Portugal’s first game under Jorge Jesus after Roberto Martinez was replaced, and it came with the added backdrop of a World Cup campaign that had ended in the round of 16 against Spain.
Ronaldo says he still has a role
Ronaldo spoke at the Portugal Football Summit main stage on Wednesday, and his message was clear: he wants to keep going, and he believes the goals are still there. He has 979 career goals, including 833 for clubs and 146 for Portugal, leaving him 21 short of 1,000.
“One goal is to achieve both – reaching 1,000 goals and the national team trying to win this Nations League,” Ronaldo said.
He added that he sees the moment as part of a wider new chapter for the team. “It’s a new era with manager Jorge Jesus, whom we all know well; I just hope things go well for him,” he said.
That is the key point here. Ronaldo is not presenting the milestone as a distraction from Portugal’s job. He is framing it as part of the same mission: score goals, help the team and start the new cycle strongly.
Portugal’s new era starts with familiar expectations
For Jorge Jesus, there is no gentle introduction. Portugal are defending their Nations League title, and the first assignment arrives with the attention that always follows Ronaldo.
That is not surprising. When the captain talks about his future, he is still speaking like someone who expects to matter. “They count on me. I still believe that I’m able to help the national team,” he said.
He was even more direct when asked about his place in the squad. “The most important point is to be able, inside the pitch, to score goals and help the team to win games,” Ronaldo said.
That is what makes this feel like more than a ceremonial appearance. Ronaldo knows the standard is higher than sentiment. He was plain about that too, saying: “If the manager doesn’t count on me, I can leave today – no problem at all...”
And he drew a line under the idea that he would stay out of obligation alone. “When I feel that I’m not doing anything here, that I’m not contributing on the pitch, not scoring goals, creating a bad atmosphere, or that they don’t want me here, I’ll be the first to pack my bags,” he said.
The 1,000-goal chase is real, but so is the football
There is obvious intrigue around the 1,000-goal mark, and Ronaldo did not hide his ambition. “Scoring my 1,000th goal for the national team would be the culmination of something – a beautiful story,” he said. “I’ve already admitted that I want to get there, and I will get there.”
But he also resisted turning that into pressure. “An obsession? No … The rest is about enjoying it, enjoying every day,” he said.
That is probably the right tone for Portugal as well. The number is big, but the immediate task is simple: begin the Nations League defence properly and give Jorge Jesus a stable start.
Portugal have already shown they can live with expectation. The question now is whether this new version can do it again, with a fresh manager, a familiar captain and a spotlight that will not be dimmed any time soon.
