Mourinho’s Cold Truth: Portugal Look Ordinary Without Ronaldo
29 March 2026
Match snapshot
The Portuguese national team exited with a disappointing goalless draw against Mexico, in a match played early this morning at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
Portugal's captain Cristiano Ronaldo was absent due to injury.
The lineup still featured established names such as Nuno Mendes, Joao Cancelo, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, and Joao Neves.
Mourinho, who coaches Benfica, reacted to the result by saying Ronaldo's absence leaves the team weaker and less threatening.
In comments picked up by the Gol website, he reiterated how Portugal's edge depends on the former star's attacking threat.
He stated that removing Ronaldo from the picture makes Portugal look like any other ordinary side.
He added that people keep asking not to call Ronaldo up, yet today’s result showed no threat, no fear, just a team under pressure from Mexico.
He concluded that Ronaldo on the pitch makes opponents think twice, while without him they do not think at all.
Read also ... In Ronaldo’s absence, Portugal’s dominance struggles to translate against Mexico.
You can follow the linked piece for more on how Portugal’s approach changes when Ronaldo is unavailable.
Mourinho's blunt verdict
The result adds another chapter to Ronaldo's ongoing influence and to Mourinho's habit of speaking his mind, especially when Portugal navigate life without their marquee striker.
He stated that removing Ronaldo from the picture makes Portugal look like any other ordinary side.
Punchline 1: If Ronaldo is the spark, Portugal's party still needs a fire marshal.
Punchline 2: Without Ronaldo, even Portugal's strategy seems to have left its GPS at home.
