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Cristiano Ronaldo breaks silence on feud with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus, confirms he's not retiring: ‘The federation must punish me’
Cristiano Ronaldo confirms he's not retiring from international football as he breaks silence on the ongoing feud with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus.
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The cat's finally out of the bag! Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday night finally broke his silence on the ongoing feud with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus, revealing what exactly happened during the Nations League and what prompted him to leave the team camp midway through the international break. In a lengthy statement, CR7 claimed that the Portugal manager broke his word and concluded by saying that he remains available to the national team for the next international match in November. His latest statement also confirms that Ronaldo isn't calling time on his international career for now.
Ronaldo claimed that he was repeatedly lied to by the manager about the agreed-upon playing time, saying he was left with no choice but to abandon the national team to protect his integrity. The forward, who is nearing the 1,000 career goals mark, also stated that he had prepared a letter for the Portuguese people after the FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign came to an end, post the defeat to Spain; however, he didn't make it public on the request of Portugal Football Federation's President.
“As promised, I have decided to give a direct, first-person account of the circumstances surrounding the final stage of my time with the national team. After the 2026 World Cup, I prepared a letter to the Portuguese people, which I still have, containing the words I want to share with them when I leave our team for good. After the tournament, on the flight home from the United States, the federation president asked me, and insisted, that I reconsider my decision to leave because the Portuguese Football Federation wanted me to stay,” Ronaldo said in his statement, as reported by Spanish outlet Diario AS.
“Immediately afterwards, he asked for my opinion on the current national team coach, whom he was considering alongside other candidates whose names he did not disclose. I told the federation president that, in my opinion, it would be the right decision. So, on the day the current coach was unveiled, I was truly pleased with the choice. It was the right decision, as the results have shown,” he added.
The Portugal legend then went on to state that during his initial meetings with Jesus, a certain playing time was agreed upon, and he thought the manager would honour his word, only to be left shocked by what eventually transpired in the Nations League.
“A few days later, I received my first call from the new national team coach, who told me he wanted to meet me in person. I agreed, and we arranged to meet at the end of my vacation. We met at the Cidade do Futebol, where my club was holding its preseason training. That day, the coach told me he was counting on me and that my presence was essential to his project. He outlined a plan for my involvement there and then. He told me I would play the first and last games and that, for fitness reasons, he would always make three or four substitutions per game,” stated Ronaldo.
“At that point, he suggested that I not travel with the national team to Norway and Denmark. He proposed that I play the first game and stay in Portugal, then rejoin the team before the game at the Estadio do Dragao. I rejected the offer immediately. It seemed obvious to me that I could not accept it. Not playing the games abroad did not mean I would stop being our team’s captain. Having the privilege of staying in Portugal would not set a good example. In the end, the coach agreed with my assessment,” he added.
What happened next?
Ronaldo then finally stated what led to his departure from Copenhagen before Portugal's Nations League match versus Denmark last week. The 41-year-old stated that Jesus initially agreed upon a plan under which Ronaldo would miss the games against Norway and Denmark to manage his fitness. However, the equation changed completely on the day of the Norway game, when Jesus told Ronaldo he would play for half an hour.
“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from halftime onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn't called on. The manager had broken his word to me,” said the striker.
Portugal's captain and leading goalscorer then said that a subsequent meeting with Jesus had been arranged and was also attended by Al-Nassr's sporting director, Simao Coutinho. According to Ronaldo, an eight-point document was then prepared, making it clear that he had never demanded any playing time and that he respected the manager's decisions, and that the agreed notes did not require Jesus to apologise. However, Ronaldo was left even more in the dark when Jesus did not reveal any such details in the next media interaction.
“It was the second time he had broken his word to me. I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for any further broken promises,” said CR7.
Ronaldo concluded his statement by apologising for failing to greet the fans after the match against Norway. He also said he will not limit his international ambitions to a farewell appearance, but added that he should be punished by the Portuguese Football Federation for his actions.
"The Portuguese Football Federation must assess the consequences of my actions and punish me for them. I believe the punishment should not be reduced," Ronaldo said.
“I have already apologised, but I know that actions have consequences. If I am physically fit, playing for my club and, hopefully, scoring goals, after serving the suspension that will be imposed on me, I will be available, as I always have been, to compete and win with our national team. This, believe me, is the absolute truth,” he added.
