⚽ UEFA Nations League ⚽ - Discussion Thread

[danadc]

Portugal has a very talented and strong national team and I am sure that even without Ronaldo they can achieve great results.
At the next world championship, they will be one of the locals and this is their opportunity.
They have already won the UEFA Nations League 2 times, the last time after the victory against Spain, and I think they are not without chances to win this competition this season as well.

Portugal is deeply upset that Cristiano left, and this is all thanks to his coach. He may have a very big ego, but he has a good reason to justify it; he's the only one who has made such an excellent history for that country. I'm sure they're going to blame the coach for this. Everything suggests that Ronaldo's decision was influenced by his coach, so that coach can't be doing well. Being arrogant doesn't help at all; he's a coach who's let fame go to his head.

[B2Z]

England are strong in any case, they only need one more point to achieve their goal, and now the only question is how hard they will try in the match against Croatia considering that they are going to Spain after that.

England may not be nervous about the match against Croatia because they have already secured a big win in their first match against Croatia. However, Spain's challenge will not be easy for England. In the first match of the Nations League, England won against Spain by a margin of 3-2 goals. Although England was ahead at the beginning, the English players failed to resist the Spanish attacks towards the end. However, I expect at least a tough competition between Spain and England in the last match of the group stage of the Nations League and the undefeated Pen will be defeated in that competition.

[JoyMarsha]

Portugal has a very talented and strong national team and I am sure that even without Ronaldo they can achieve great results.
At the next world championship, they will be one of the locals and this is their opportunity.
They have already won the UEFA Nations League 2 times, the last time after the victory against Spain, and I think they are not without chances to win this competition this season as well.

Portugal is deeply upset that Cristiano left, and this is all thanks to his coach. He may have a very big ego, but he has a good reason to justify it; he's the only one who has made such an excellent history for that country. I'm sure they're going to blame the coach for this. Everything suggests that Ronaldo's decision was influenced by his coach, so that coach can't be doing well. Being arrogant doesn't help at all; he's a coach who's let fame go to his head.

You are correct that the Portuguese coach is the main reason Ronaldo calls for his retirement suddenly. I was discussing with someone a few days ago to let him know that if the misunderstanding hadn't happened, Ronaldo would have loved to be on the pitch this November for the UEFA Nation League, to represent his country, Portugal" as usual. Ronaldo even mentioned that he will be on the pitch this November to play against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League match-up.

It is surprisingly to learn that he retires from international football, whereas he wanted to be play for the Portugal team this year and next year preferably before he ''Ronaldo" calls it a rap-up from international football

[Baki202]

Portugal is deeply upset that Cristiano left, and this is all thanks to his coach. He may have a very big ego, but he has a good reason to justify it; he's the only one who has made such an excellent history for that country. I'm sure they're going to blame the coach for this. Everything suggests that Ronaldo's decision was influenced by his coach, so that coach can't be doing well. Being arrogant doesn't help at all; he's a coach who's let fame go to his head.

I think Cristiano made the right decision, as the saying goes leave the stage when the ovation is loudest. You should know when to take a bow and let others take it up from there. Before Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal never won any trophy even with the world class players they have had in the past like Eusebio, Figo, Rui Costa and others. They always fell short but Cristiano Ronaldo with his winning mentality and leadership led them to winning their first major trophy which is the Euro 2016.

In fact, I don't think Portugal was considered a top footballing nation until Cristiano Ronaldo gave them the visibility they have today and everyone now expects Portugal to win trophies. Without Cristiano Ronaldo the Portugal national team is just another modest team not top. Ronaldo has raised the bar and the expected of the Portuguese national team because the Balon Dior of all time (BOAT) has helped and influenced the team and won the nation league twice and one Euro. The coach claims that Ronaldo couldn't train properly at that level that he required which is the reason he dropped Ronaldo in most of the games.

[Judith87403]

Portugal is deeply upset that Cristiano left, and this is all thanks to his coach. He may have a very big ego, but he has a good reason to justify it; he's the only one who has made such an excellent history for that country. I'm sure they're going to blame the coach for this. Everything suggests that Ronaldo's decision was influenced by his coach, so that coach can't be doing well. Being arrogant doesn't help at all; he's a coach who's let fame go to his head.

I agree that the misunderstanding between Jorge Jesus and Cristiano Ronaldo was part of the reasons for his retirement because if not for how Ronaldo felt disrespected he would have continued with the national team one more time but the controversy made Ronaldo to feel that if he returns back to the team he wouldn't feel the same way anymore. But this is also a lesson to those players who started by being the dominant figure in their national team to always know when to retire from international football because that is where most players get disrespected unlike when they are playing league games. I don't think anyone will blame the coach for Ronaldo's retirement because even the national team were tired of having Ronaldo in the team because if it were not so the players would have probably protested for Ronaldo to return back to the squad.

[Victorybit1]

Portugal is deeply upset that Cristiano left, and this is all thanks to his coach. He may have a very big ego, but he has a good reason to justify it; he's the only one who has made such an excellent history for that country. I'm sure they're going to blame the coach for this. Everything suggests that Ronaldo's decision was influenced by his coach, so that coach can't be doing well. Being arrogant doesn't help at all; he's a coach who's let fame go to his head.

I agree that the misunderstanding between Jorge Jesus and Cristiano Ronaldo was part of the reasons for his retirement because if not for how Ronaldo felt disrespected he would have continued with the national team one more time but the controversy made Ronaldo to feel that if he returns back to the team he wouldn't feel the same way anymore. But this is also a lesson to those players who started by being the dominant figure in their national team to always know when to retire from international football because that is where most players get disrespected unlike when they are playing league games. I don't think anyone will blame the coach for Ronaldo's retirement because even the national team were tired of having Ronaldo in the team because if it were not so the players would have probably protested for Ronaldo to return back to the squad.

He should have retired a long time ago when he notice that the game has left him, it caused quite a scandal that left him looking like an authoritarian. One think the didn't put into account was the lash back Jorge Jesus would have faced if the team started losing, everyone will forget Christiano played trash and all blame would be on him.

With this Ronaldo's retirement am intrigued to see the improvement of the team play, I know he didn't play as much time this last international fixture but his presence would have caused alot friction in that dressing room has I would have imagined

[AYOBA]

England may not be nervous about the match against Croatia because they have already secured a big win in their first match against Croatia. However, Spain's challenge will not be easy for England. In the first match of the Nations League, England won against Spain by a margin of 3-2 goals. Although England was ahead at the beginning, the English players failed to resist the Spanish attacks towards the end. However, I expect at least a tough competition between Spain and England in the last match of the group stage of the Nations League and the undefeated Pen will be defeated in that competition.

I don’t think England would find the match challenging against Croatia given how their previous matches goes well i doubt if Croatia can able to win England. Because England are also among the best club are doing well now in this National league. Most of their last matches was against tough country and with their efforts they where able to got a positive results, so I’m expecting the same thing in their upcoming match. However we will be wait to see how their game goes in the match day, because at times the football is unpredictable.

[Rashlyowl]

Portugal is deeply upset that Cristiano left, and this is all thanks to his coach. He may have a very big ego, but he has a good reason to justify it; he's the only one who has made such an excellent history for that country. I'm sure they're going to blame the coach for this. Everything suggests that Ronaldo's decision was influenced by his coach, so that coach can't be doing well. Being arrogant doesn't help at all; he's a coach who's let fame go to his head.

There is no need to drag this matter out, we all know that Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from the national team & will not be returning. Let us return to the context of the discussion in this thread, the UEFA Nations League competition.

By the way, a few days ago the Portugal squad for the upcoming break was announced, you can see the list below:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Rui Silva (Sporting CP), Samuel Soares (Benfica).

Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Alberto Costa (Porto), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Tomas Araujo (Benfica), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Antonio Silva (Bournemouth), Joao Cancelo (Barcelona), Nuno Tavares (Lazio).

Midfielders: Joao Palhinha (Benfica), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal), Mateus Fernandes (Tottenham), Vitinha (PSG), Joao Neves (PSG), Bernardo Silva (Real Madrid).

Forwards: Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Francisco Trincao (Al-Ahli), Carlos Forbs (Club Brugge), Rafael Leao (Galatasaray), Geovany Quenda (Chelsea), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Joao Felix (Al-Nassr), Rodrigo Mora (Roma), Goncalo Ramos (Milan), Fabio Silva (Borussia Dortmund), Gustavo Varela (Monza).

Against Denmark & Wales with that squad, I think Portugal will win easily.

[nelson4lov]

Portugal is deeply upset that Cristiano left, and this is all thanks to his coach. He may have a very big ego, but he has a good reason to justify it; he's the only one who has made such an excellent history for that country. I'm sure they're going to blame the coach for this. Everything suggests that Ronaldo's decision was influenced by his coach, so that coach can't be doing well. Being arrogant doesn't help at all; he's a coach who's let fame go to his head.

His issues with Ronaldo has put a target on his back and there would pressure from all sides going forward. I hope that the team does well under his management otherwise he would come under scrutiny not just by the fans but also the Portuguese Football Federation. Its very surprising to me how he worked with Ronaldo throughout last season and somehow manage to get into serious with him just few months together in the national team.

Well, I wish Portugal all the best in future endeavours. I will now support France on international competitions.

[Tongley]

Portugal is deeply upset that Cristiano left, and this is all thanks to his coach. He may have a very big ego, but he has a good reason to justify it; he's the only one who has made such an excellent history for that country. I'm sure they're going to blame the coach for this. Everything suggests that Ronaldo's decision was influenced by his coach, so that coach can't be doing well. Being arrogant doesn't help at all; he's a coach who's let fame go to his head.

I feel bad for Ronaldo's decision and in some ways I feel good. Because the criticism we see about Ronaldo these days is never a good thing for Ronaldo. He is very old now and the effects of age have affected his game. If Ronaldo had taken this decision earlier, it would have been a better decision for him, as he would not have had to face criticism at the last moment and everyone could have continued to compare him with Ronaldo and Messi.

[eisen33]

His issues with Ronaldo has put a target on his back and there would pressure from all sides going forward. I hope that the team does well under his management otherwise he would come under scrutiny not just by the fans but also the Portuguese Football Federation. Its very surprising to me how he worked with Ronaldo throughout last season and somehow manage to get into serious with him just few months together in the national team.

Well, I wish Portugal all the best in future endeavours. I will now support France on international competitions.

Ronaldo has had plenty of time to think everything through. Obviously, he is no longer as useful to his team as he once was. Younger players are faster than him, and perhaps his experience is no longer enough to compete with them, maybe this is the right decision. Instead of spending more time on the bench than on the pitch for the Portugal national team, it might be better to end his international career now and focus on playing for his club. This is the end of an era, but playing at 41 is obviously not as easy as it was when he was younger.

[Daniel91]

Portugal has a very talented and strong national team and I am sure that even without Ronaldo they can achieve great results.
At the next world championship, they will be one of the locals and this is their opportunity.
They have already won the UEFA Nations League 2 times, the last time after the victory against Spain, and I think they are not without chances to win this competition this season as well.

Portugal is deeply upset that Cristiano left, and this is all thanks to his coach. He may have a very big ego, but he has a good reason to justify it; he's the only one who has made such an excellent history for that country. I'm sure they're going to blame the coach for this. Everything suggests that Ronaldo's decision was influenced by his coach, so that coach can't be doing well. Being arrogant doesn't help at all; he's a coach who's let fame go to his head.

You are correct that the Portuguese coach is the main reason Ronaldo calls for his retirement suddenly. I was discussing with someone a few days ago to let him know that if the misunderstanding hadn't happened, Ronaldo would have loved to be on the pitch this November for the UEFA Nation League, to represent his country, Portugal" as usual. Ronaldo even mentioned that he will be on the pitch this November to play against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League match-up.

It is surprisingly to learn that he retires from international football, whereas he wanted to be play for the Portugal team this year and next year preferably before he ''Ronaldo" calls it a rap-up from international football

I think that in this story it is not so much who is more to blame but who has lost more, and that is certainly Portuguese football and the national team, but also Ronaldo himself.
This incident will certainly affect Ronaldo's legacy and it should not have happened.
Realistically, Ronaldo is very close to the end of his fantastic playing career and it is a great shame that his international career ends in such a way, without a real farewell like Argentina did for Messi.
From the player side, I think there is no need to worry about Portugal, they have a talented and very high-quality team and have already shown that they can play well and win even without Ronaldo.
In Group A4 they achieved all 4 victories and are on their way to being competitive for winning this trophy again, after they managed to overcome Spain in the last final.

[UpTober]

England may not be nervous about the match against Croatia because they have already secured a big win in their first match against Croatia. However, Spain's challenge will not be easy for England. In the first match of the Nations League, England won against Spain by a margin of 3-2 goals. Although England was ahead at the beginning, the English players failed to resist the Spanish attacks towards the end. However, I expect at least a tough competition between Spain and England in the last match of the group stage of the Nations League and the undefeated Pen will be defeated in that competition.

I don’t think England would find the match challenging against Croatia given how their previous matches goes well i doubt if Croatia can able to win England. Because England are also among the best club are doing well now in this National league. Most of their last matches was against tough country and with their efforts they where able to got a positive results, so I’m expecting the same thing in their upcoming match. However we will be wait to see how their game goes in the match day, because at times the football is unpredictable.

There are many differences between the previous Croatia and the current Croatia, it seems that the current Croatia team has forgotten how to perform well. Their chances of doing well against England are very low. At the moment, the way every player in England is playing at the club level, I think the English are going to beat Croatia by a big margin in the next match. Yes, we will have to wait until the end of the match to know the final result, now maybe considering the current performance, players and form, we are putting Croatia far behind England, but the result of the match may be different.

[danadc]

I feel bad for Ronaldo's decision and in some ways I feel good. Because the criticism we see about Ronaldo these days is never a good thing for Ronaldo. He is very old now and the effects of age have affected his game. If Ronaldo had taken this decision earlier, it would have been a better decision for him, as he would not have had to face criticism at the last moment and everyone could have continued to compare him with Ronaldo and Messi.

I think Cristiano has a different way of thinking than everyone else. He works on his body, he has a special training regimen, he runs a lot, and he's in good physical condition for his age. Criticism will always exist, but it's difficult to fight against age. Longevity is the greatest desire of every human being, but our bodies eventually take their toll.

Perhaps he didn't retire because he wanted to make history. It's very clear that he didn't get the opportunity with the current Portugal coach, and that happens. But in a few years, we'll see fans and non-fans alike complaining about why he retired and that he should have continued playing.

[Lucius]

~snip~
After defeating Croatia 7-0 and hosting them again in England, England’s chances of winning this match again are a safe bet, but I have my doubts about the match against Spain following the Croatia game.
Spain is one of the most well-rounded teams and is very strong in every aspect.

It is hard to expect anything other than England's victory against Croatia, but the question is whether that victory will come easily like in the first game, or whether Croatia will again play defense with all players and look for an opportunity from the counterattack. The fact that England play Spain after that may suggest that they may not be at full strength, but it is not impossible that Croatia will suffer again, because the defense is still as bad as the man who is putting it all together.

[Iranus]

But still, only 1 win in their last 10 EPL matches. It's the worst start for Man United since the EPL era began.

This is not even worst record in Manchester United's club history. This season, club went 8 consecutive match without win. I saw the exact same record in 2024-25 season as well. Time has passed, and managers have changed several time, but there has been no improvement in their performance.

Next match, Man United play against Liverpool at Anfield. Everyone is expecting Man United to lose. I would probably go against the majority because I think that's how the EPL works. EPL fans and the world would make noise if Man United lose again, keeping their position in the relegation zone. But a win against Liverpool would make the noise even louder, and that's what the media and the EPL want.

Winning against Liverpool at Anfield is naturally difficult. But it is certainly not impossible. In fact, United have full capability to earn point.
Anyway, biggest issue is their weak defense. With such abysmal defense, maintaining consistent performance is extremely difficult for Carrick. Even so, after securing point against Aston Villa, players confidence has received boost. If Manchester United can hold strong defense at Anfield, I also believe they will manage to get point.

[Rashlyowl]

Big game awaits us, it was a game between Italy & France.



Both teams are actually strong, but given the positive trend that France is currently have, it is France that is expected to win this game. Although I was a bit doubtful about my choice, I had already placed my bet on France to win. My prediction is that this game will end 1 - 2 or 1 - 3 in favor of France.

[Iranus]

Ronaldo has had plenty of time to think everything through. Obviously, he is no longer as useful to his team as he once was. Younger players are faster than him, and perhaps his experience is no longer enough to compete with them, maybe this is the right decision. Instead of spending more time on the bench than on the pitch for the Portugal national team, it might be better to end his international career now and focus on playing for his club. This is the end of an era, but playing at 41 is obviously not as easy as it was when he was younger.

It was unbelievable that Ronaldo played in the last World cup. IMO, he should have retired from the national team much earlier. During the World Cup matches, he faced heavy criticism. For the past several years, we have been seeing that his teammates could not adapt to him properly , and he faced neglect from the manager many times. This is disrespectful for  a living legend like Ronaldo.
On the other hand, we saw that Argentina's players and manager gave Messi enough respect and support. As a result, despite not having too many star players in the squad, they won the previous World cup and were runners-up in this WC as well. If Ronaldo had received similar support from his teammates and coach , he might have had a World cup title  in his collection too, especially since Portugal's squad for this WC  was very strong. Even after that, their performance was frustrating.

[ChocolateBitcoinK]

England may not be nervous about the match against Croatia because they have already secured a big win in their first match against Croatia. However, Spain's challenge will not be easy for England. In the first match of the Nations League, England won against Spain by a margin of 3-2 goals. Although England was ahead at the beginning, the English players failed to resist the Spanish attacks towards the end. However, I expect at least a tough competition between Spain and England in the last match of the group stage of the Nations League and the undefeated Pen will be defeated in that competition.

I don’t think England would find the match challenging against Croatia given how their previous matches goes well i doubt if Croatia can able to win England. Because England are also among the best club are doing well now in this National league. Most of their last matches was against tough country and with their efforts they where able to got a positive results, so I’m expecting the same thing in their upcoming match. However we will be wait to see how their game goes in the match day, because at times the football is unpredictable.

Do you remember what happened the last time England played Croatia? The match was at Croatia's home ground, but they lost 7-0 to England, and now after a long time they will meet again, and now the match will be at England's home ground, and so here I am not worried whether England will win, I am very sure that England will definitely win. Croatia is not a very strong team, they have lost 3 of the last 4 matches, but England is very strong compared to them.

Anyway, I am worried about the France vs Italy match, Italy can do quite well, but since France is strong, France definitely has a good chance, but since the match is at Italy's home ground, there is no telling what will happen, this match is going to be very good.

[Victorybit1]

England are strong in any case, they only need one more point to achieve their goal, and now the only question is how hard they will try in the match against Croatia considering that they are going to Spain after that.

England may not be nervous about the match against Croatia because they have already secured a big win in their first match against Croatia. However, Spain's challenge will not be easy for England. In the first match of the Nations League, England won against Spain by a margin of 3-2 goals. Although England was ahead at the beginning, the English players failed to resist the Spanish attacks towards the end. However, I expect at least a tough competition between Spain and England in the last match of the group stage of the Nations League and the undefeated Pen will be defeated in that competition.

That previous match that featured England v Spain was the last grasp for England to ever win Spain and they fumbled it, I remembered that match and it felt like England had the chance to win but but caused outcomes had other plan and thisbnext fixture, they will be facing Spain at home and that's terrifying.

Croatia won't be a bug deal for England, I didn't see any improvement of the cause of club football that would prove Croatia different, they are still the team that lost 7-0 to Spain