Cristiano Ronaldo says Portugal exit followed two broken promises by Jorge Jesus

Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he was wrong to leave Portugal’s camp but says he will not retire from international football after accusing Jorge Jesus of breaking his word twice.

The 41-year-old captain said an agreement had been reached for him to miss Portugal’s matches against Norway and Denmark as part of a plan to manage his fitness. He therefore accepted being an unused substitute as Portugal beat Norway 2-1 on 27 September.

Ronaldo said Jesus later told him he had changed his mind and expected him to play against Norway, before deciding against using him because of the circumstances of the match. The coach has acknowledged that he made Ronaldo warm up for too long without bringing him on, while insisting the final decision was his and that there was no personal dispute between them.

Jesus, who previously coached Ronaldo at Al Nassr, said “any player” would have been unhappy in that situation.

Disagreement over public explanation

Ronaldo said a subsequent meeting with Jesus produced an agreement over how the incident would be explained before the Denmark match.

An eight-point document was prepared, he said, stating that he had not demanded playing time, had respected the coach’s decisions and that asking a player of his stature to warm up without introducing him had been a mistake.

Ronaldo added that Jesus did not need to apologise to him personally. However, he said the public explanation did not match what had been agreed privately, prompting him to decide he could no longer stay with the squad.

After Jesus announced that Ronaldo would not start against Denmark, the Portugal captain spoke to Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca and left camp. The federation confirmed his departure, while Ronaldo said he would explain his reasons “in due course”.

Portugal went on to beat Denmark 4-2 without him. Jesus had previously said there was no “Ronaldo case”, that the same rules applied to every player and that Goncalo Ramos would start against Denmark if everything went according to plan.

Ronaldo’s statement accepted responsibility for leaving, apologised to his team-mates and the Portuguese public, and said he believed the federation should punish him. He also made clear that he would remain available once any suspension had been served.

Retirement ruled out

Ronaldo revealed he had considered ending his international career after Portugal’s World Cup campaign ended in the last 16 this summer. He had prepared a letter for supporters, but said Pedro Proenca persuaded him to reconsider during the journey home from the United States.

“I am not retiring from Portugal,” Ronaldo declared. He wants to continue competing rather than have his next appearance treated solely as a farewell, although he accepted that one or more farewell matches could eventually take place.

Ronaldo is Portugal’s record scorer and appearance holder, with 146 goals in 234 appearances. His 146 international goals are also a men’s world record. He won the European Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League twice.

He has scored 979 career goals for Portugal, Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al Nassr, and is pursuing 1,000.

Portugal won all four of its Nations League matches during the period, beating Norway and Denmark without Ronaldo. The team’s next chance to recall him comes in the November window against Denmark and Wales.

The dispute has damaged a relationship Ronaldo once viewed positively, but the central question is whether he and Jesus can repair it with the 2028 European Championship ahead.