Ronaldo ended Portugal career too late, says former boss Nelo Vingada

Cristiano Ronaldo made the right decision by retiring from international football, but should have waited until after the 2026 World Cup, according to former Portugal manager Nelo Vingada.

Ronaldo, the Al Nassr captain, announced his retirement on Thursday, bringing to an end a 23-year career with Portugal. The 41-year-old had previously indicated that he wanted to continue playing for his country after serving a suspension.

His decision followed a serious dispute with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo left the national team’s camp in Copenhagen without permission after objecting to comments made by the coach.

Portuguese supporters had been expecting Ronaldo to return to the squad once his suspension ended. Instead, he chose to end his international career.

“Considering what happened previously, I believe retirement was the best decision, although there is no winner in this situation,” Vingada told Kooora on Friday.

Asked why Ronaldo had changed his mind after previously expressing a desire to carry on, Vingada said: “Some events took place, and there was a disagreement between the manager and the player. The statements made by both of them left no room for reconciliation.”

‘A major loss for Portugal’

Vingada, who managed Portugal in 1993, said Ronaldo’s absence would be felt by the national team, although he believed the decision made sense from a footballing perspective.

“Of course, it is a major loss, especially because the situation was not handled well by either side,” he said.

“But from a technical point of view, the decision was a natural one, even though what actually happened has still not been made clear.”

Vingada felt Ronaldo’s international career should have ended at a different point.

“From my perspective, the right time to make the decision would have been after the 2026 World Cup,” he said. “The matches that followed did not give Ronaldo the best opportunity to finish his international career in the way he deserved, so this decision came late.”

Portugal are listed to face Denmark in Nations League – Path 1 on 14 November 2026.

Ronaldo targeting 1,000 goals

Vingada does not believe Ronaldo is ready to retire from football altogether. He expects the forward to continue playing for Al Nassr as he pursues a landmark personal target.

“He must continue playing with Al Nassr so he can reach his goal of scoring 1,000 goals as quickly as possible,” Vingada said.

“I believe that when he achieves this target, he may be approaching the end of his career as a player. I also believe he wants to play alongside his son at Al Nassr.”

Vingada also rejected the prospect of Ronaldo returning to Portugal in a coaching or administrative role.

He said he did not expect the former captain to lead the national team in the future, adding that once Ronaldo finally retires, his ambitions are likely to be focused more outside football.