Cristiano Ronaldo says he will continue with Portugal after dispute with Jorge Jesus

Cristiano Ronaldo says he will not retire from international football despite a dispute with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus, and has asked the Federacao Portuguesa de Futebol to punish him for leaving the team’s camp.

Ronaldo apologised for failing to greet supporters after Portugal’s match against Norway and for subsequently leaving the camp. However, he said he had been let down after Jesus failed to honour an agreement over his involvement in the Nations League fixtures.

“I can promise all my supporters, especially the Portuguese, that we will play one or more farewell matches. There will be time for that,” Ronaldo said in a statement.

“But when I think about the national team, what really matters to me is competing. If I am physically fit, playing for my club and scoring goals, I will be available, as I have always been, to compete and win with Portugal.”

Ronaldo said that, after the 2026 World Cup, he had prepared a message to the Portuguese people announcing his international retirement. On the flight home from the United States, however, Federacao Portuguesa de Futebol president Fernando Gomes asked him to reconsider because the federation wanted him to continue.

Gomes also asked Ronaldo for his opinion on the manager he was considering appointing. Ronaldo said Jesus was “the ideal choice”, and welcomed his appointment.

The pair later met at Cidade do Futebol while Ronaldo’s club were holding their pre-season camp. Jesus told him he was central to his plans and proposed that he play Portugal’s first and final matches, with three or four changes made in each game for physical reasons.

Jesus suggested Ronaldo should remain in Portugal for the away fixtures against Norway and Denmark before joining the squad for the match at Estadio do Dragao. Ronaldo rejected the idea, saying that not playing away would not be a good example for the captain.

Simao Coutinho, sporting director of Al Nassr, attended that discussion. Ronaldo said another meeting at his home in Lisbon, held on the eve of the camp, was calm and maintained the principles agreed in August.

He started the match at Estadio Jose Alvalade and handed the captain’s armband to Bruno Fernandes when he was substituted. Against Norway, Jesus’ assistant told Ronaldo at lunchtime that the manager wanted him to play 30 minutes. Ronaldo agreed, despite the request falling outside his recovery and training programme.

He warmed up from the start of the second half but was not sent on.

“The manager broke his promise,” Ronaldo said. “I only wanted the match to end with a win and to be alone. I did not go to greet the supporters. That was my mistake and I take full responsibility. I apologise to the Portuguese people and to everyone who travelled to see me.”

Ronaldo said that 48 hours later he met Jesus and Simao Coutinho, who had followed their earlier discussions. They agreed Jesus would explain at a news conference that Ronaldo had never asked to play, that the plan had been the manager’s alone and that it had been a mistake to use him only in the warm-up.

Ronaldo said the subsequent video meeting, also involving Tiago Craveiro, did not follow that agreement. He described the language used as aggressive and said it differed from the private conversation the previous day.

According to notes he reviewed, Jesus said he had personally proposed the plan, that Ronaldo had accepted it, and that Ronaldo had never questioned his decisions. Jesus also said Ronaldo had not been scheduled to play against Norway, but had agreed to appear after recovering physically.

“I made a mistake by asking a player of Pele or Diego Maradona’s stature to warm up without bringing him on,” Jesus said in the notes. “If I had to do it again, I would not.”

Jesus also said: “I want Cristiano in the national team. Not a little, but a lot.”

Ronaldo said the notes did not mention an apology from Jesus, making it the second time he believed the manager had broken his word. He left the camp after telling the federation president and Jesus that they should simply tell him if they no longer wanted him.

“I have never interfered in a manager’s technical or tactical decisions,” Ronaldo said. “I accept the decision, whether it is good or bad.”

He apologised to his team-mates for missing the training camp, but asked the federation not to reduce any punishment.

“I am not just any player. I am the captain, and that should be considered an aggravating circumstance,” he said. “The rules are the same for everyone, regardless of status.”

Ronaldo was named in Jesus’ first squad for four Nations League matches. He started against Wales, then remained an unused substitute against Norway. Jesus said the circumstances of the match had prevented him from using him.

After an urgent meeting involving Ronaldo, Jesus and the federation president, Ronaldo left the camp. Rafael Leao wore the number seven shirt in the following game against Denmark. Government intervention did not resolve the dispute.

Portugal won all of their first four matches and qualified for the quarter-finals with two games still to play.