In the 49th minute, the ageing superstar from Saudi club Al-Nassr had the chance to silence critics who say his time is up. Ruben Neves picked him out with a cross, but Ronaldo missed from around three metres, wasting the chance to make it 2-0 and put the game to bed.
The 41-year-old did not catch the ball cleanly and it flew well over the Welsh goal off his calf. Soon after, CR7 thought he had scored when he clinically converted a pass from Bruno Fernandes (59). However, the video assistant referee ruled out his 974th career goal because Ronaldo was offside.
In the end, it stayed 1-0 to Portugal, thanks to the goal from Ronaldo's Al-Nassr team-mate Joao Felix. The win was deserved for the European champions of 2016. Wales offered too little for long spells, although Ruben Dias had to preserve the lead with a goal-saving intervention in the 74th minute.
Call-up with a bitter aftertaste: why is CR7 facing criticism?
Under new national team coach Jorge Jesus, the hoped-for upturn failed to arrive, and Ronaldo could not silence his critics. After his latest call-up, doubts resurfaced in his home country over whether the veteran still offers added value to the side. Especially with a view to the co-hosting role at the 2030 World Cup, there have been vehement calls for a rebuild and a youth movement. All of it comes with a bitter aftertaste.
There is history between Ronaldo and Jesus. Last season, the pair won the Saudi title together with Al-Nassr. The 72-year-old, however, insisted the call-up was not preferential treatment.
"The past is irrelevant," Jesus stressed. Ronaldo is "a player like any other: if he performs, he plays - if not, he does not play". He said only current form, not a life's work or even the personal relationship, was decisive. Ronaldo has "a special status because his career has taken a different path - he has won the Ballon d'Or five times. But does that play a role in my decisions? No," Jesus explained.
Getty ImagesHis disappointing performances at the World Cup, where Portugal went out to Spain in the round of 16, had already damaged confidence in the veteran star back home. Ronaldo then left his future with the Selecao open and did not want to make "any hasty decision". Even so, his return was expected.
For now, his team-mates still look up to him. Fabio Silva of Borussia Dortmund, who was called up again for the first time since the end of 2024, described Ronaldo as "an idol" and stressed: "I try to learn from him."