Mourinho hopes Cristiano Ronaldo’s final farewell will be different

Jose Mourinho has said he hopes Cristiano Ronaldo’s eventual retirement from football will be marked by a different farewell from the one that accompanied his decision to end his Portugal career.

Ronaldo announced on Thursday that he was retiring from international football after 23 years with the national team. During that time, the Al-Nassr forward won a number of titles and set several individual records for Portugal.

His decision followed a dispute with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo left the national team’s training camp in Copenhagen without permission and was subsequently suspended for one month.

Mourinho, the Real Madrid manager, was asked about Ronaldo’s announcement during his news conference on Friday, held before Saturday’s La Liga meeting with Valencia.

The former Portugal manager said Ronaldo’s decision should be accepted, but stressed that the 23-year-old international career was not the end of the player’s wider ambitions.

“We must respect his decision, and I respect it,” Mourinho said, as reported by Spanish newspaper AS. “But he has not ended his football career, and anyone who knows him understands that he still has goals he wants to achieve in his career.”

Mourinho added: “The only thing I hope for is that the moment he retires as a player will be different from his farewell yesterday.”

Ronaldo’s future after playing was also raised, with Mourinho asked whether he could eventually see his compatriot moving into management.

“I do not know what to say,” Mourinho replied. “It is still too early to talk about that.”

Real Madrid’s next fixture is against Valencia in La Liga on 07 November 2026. Portugal are then scheduled to face Denmark on 14 November 2026 in the Nations League – Path One.

Ronaldo’s international retirement brings to an end his involvement with Portugal after more than two decades, although Mourinho made clear that he does not regard the announcement as the conclusion of the forward’s playing career.