Jorge Jesus says he will reveal full Cristiano Ronaldo dispute after Norway match

Jorge Jesus has said he will explain the circumstances behind his dispute with Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal’s next Nations League match, insisting he will not “hide or run away” from the issue.

Portugal face Denmark at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on Thursday in the third round of their Nations League group campaign. Ronaldo left the Portugal camp permanently on Wednesday and returned to Madrid after tensions developed between him and Jesus.

Asked about the disagreement shortly before kick-off, Jesus told Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, in comments shared on X: “I will explain everything after the last game.”

The Portugal manager was referring to Sunday’s home fixture against Norway, which will be the fourth group-stage match in the competition.

“I have many years in football and I know that I did nothing that should have caused things to go differently,” added Jesus.

“After the Norway game, we will talk about this subject. I will not hide or run away from it. No one can take away what Cristiano represents. He is a symbol, and that is not in doubt.”

Ronaldo’s departure followed a dispute over his involvement in Portugal’s previous match against Norway, the second round of group fixtures. He was reportedly unhappy after being left out of the game, while Jesus later acknowledged that he had failed to keep a promise to the forward that he would play part of the match.

Jesus had also said he was the person with the ultimate authority over team selection, before Ronaldo decided to leave the squad a few hours later.

The developments have left Portugal facing Denmark without their captain as they seek to maintain their position at the top of Group D. Portugal begin the match with six points, while Denmark are third on three points, level on points with Norway but behind them on goal difference.

Jesus’s comments mean the dispute is not expected to be addressed publicly in full until after Sunday’s meeting with Norway. Until then, the coach has chosen to focus on Portugal’s Nations League campaign while making clear that he intends to discuss his relationship with Ronaldo after the final match of this international sequence.