Cristiano Ronaldo chose retirement timing to prevent Portugal recall, report says

Cristiano Ronaldo decided to retire from international football on the eve of Portugal manager Jorge Jesus announcing his squad, according to a report by Portuguese newspaper A Bola.

The Al Nassr forward and Portugal captain had previously indicated that he wanted to continue representing his country. However, he informed Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca that he planned to announce his retirement from international football on social media.

Ronaldo did not discuss the decision with Jesus before making it public.

The timing of the announcement was significant because Ronaldo knew Jesus intended to select him for Portugal’s upcoming Nations League matches. Portugal are scheduled to face Denmark on 14 November 2026 in Nations League – Path One.

Jesus had recently spoken in support of Ronaldo, saying the 40-year-old continued to bring significant value to the national team. The manager was also determined not to leave out Portugal’s number seven and was expected to include him in the squad he was due to announce on Friday.

Ronaldo was aware of Jesus’ plans but did not want to return to the Portugal squad under the former manager. He therefore chose to confirm his international retirement before the squad announcement, preventing Jesus from selecting him and ending the manager’s attempt to bring him back into the team.

The report says the decision came without any further conversation between the player and the manager.

Ronaldo and Jesus have not spoken since the morning of Wednesday, 30 September, when Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp. They had met with Proenca that morning, and that meeting was the last time the player and manager spoke.

Since then, there had been no further discussions between Ronaldo and Jesus. The lack of communication meant the retirement announcement came as a surprise to the Portugal head coach.

Neither Jesus nor Proenca wanted Ronaldo’s international career to end in that manner, but the pair were unable to persuade him to change his mind.

Ronaldo’s decision brings an unexpected end to his time with Portugal after he had previously made clear his desire to remain available for selection. It also means Jesus’ planned effort to include the captain in the squad for the Nations League fixtures will not go ahead.