07/10/2026
So yesterday, Cristiano Ronaldo shared his side of the story. Just in case you did not quite catch it, pull up a chair and let me break it down for you.
1) Cristiano Ronaldo said that after the 2026 World Cup, he sent a letter to the Portuguese Football Federation stating he wanted to retire from the national team. However, while he was travelling back, the President of the PFF called to beg him not to retire because they still needed him.
2) After pleading with him, they asked who he would like to see as Portugal's next manager. He recommended Jorge Jesus, and he was delighted the day Jesus was appointed.
3) Ronaldo said that once Jorge Jesus took the job, he called him asking for a meeting so they could sit down and discuss the Nations League among other matters.
4) When they met, the manager told him he was part of his plans and that he would like him to play in the first and last matches (the Wales and Norway home games). He said he did not want him travelling with the squad, so after playing Wales in Portugal, he would stay behind and rejoin the team when they returned to Portugal for the Norway fixture.
5) Ronaldo said he refused the manager's proposal, stating he wanted to travel with the team even if he was not going to play, because staying at home would set a bad example.
6) The manager agreed and said he could travel after all. Ronaldo mentioned that Simão Coutinho (Al Nassr's Sporting Director) was his witness, as he was present during the discussion.
7) Ronaldo said he played in the first match against Wales and did not complain when the manager subbed him off, accepting it in good faith. For the second match away to Norway, he assumed he would not feature, but an assistant manager approached him to say the manager was asking if he would like to play 30 minutes. Ronaldo said it was not what he had planned, but he agreed to play anyway.
8) Ronaldo said that as the match progressed, the manager sent him to warm up. He warmed up, but they did not bring him on. That really upset him, so he just waited for the final whistle to leave. Once the match ended, he walked straight off without applauding the fans. He admitted that was wrong of him and asked the fans for forgiveness.
9) Two days later, he, the manager, and Simão Coutinho held another meeting to try and resolve the issue. The manager apologised, but Ronaldo stated the only way he would move past it completely was if the manager publicly repeated everything he had said during their private meeting.
10) Ronaldo said the agreement was for the manager to clarify in public that Ronaldo had not demanded to play; rather, the manager himself had asked him to play, and that ordering him to warm up without sending him on was a mistake.
11) The manager agreed to do so. Following that meeting, they held a video call with four people present, where Ronaldo said they listed the exact points the manager was to state during his press conference:
12) On that list, they instructed the manager to speak warmly about Ronaldo, highlighting his loyalty, professionalism, and positive influence on the national team.
• They told the manager to clarify that Ronaldo had not demanded to play against Norway, but rather that the manager had asked him to.
• They also told the manager to admit it was a mistake to make a player of the same stature as Maradona and Pelé warm up without bringing him on.
• They further instructed the manager to state that he still wanted Ronaldo in the national team, and to address the incident with the fans so they could forgive him.
13) Ronaldo said that when the manager got to the press conference, he completely ignored the agreed points and said something else entirely, which is what led to Ronaldo leaving the training camp.
Ronaldo went on to apologize to his fans and the Portuguese people, asking for their forgiveness and reassuring them that he could never turn his back on them.
So, everyone, now that we have heard Ronaldo's side of the story, what do you think? Was what Jorge Jesus did right?
