Cristiano Ronaldo has given his account of the dispute with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus after leaving the national team camp. He says the agreed plan for his appearances differed from what the coach later said publicly.
Cristiano Ronaldo published an explanation of his dispute with Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus on October 6. Sport-Express, citing journalist Fabrizio Romano, reported that the forward said the coach had not kept an agreement about his involvement with the national team.
Ronaldo said Jesus had proposed a season plan and stressed the player’s contribution to Portugal, which he has represented since 2003. Ronaldo says he accepted the plan and did not question the coach’s decisions. In his account, however, Jesus’s public comments did not match what they had agreed in a private meeting.
The footballer also said he was not expected to play against Denmark but agreed to appear against Norway after the coach assessed his fitness. Ronaldo called it a mistake to send a player of his standing to warm up and then leave him off the pitch. He also relayed Jesus’s stated wish to have him in the squad and said he himself trusted the coach.
Ronaldo separately addressed an incident in which he did not greet supporters. He described it as a reaction to disappointment and rejected the interpretation that it showed a lack of affection for Portugal. He stressed that his agreed talking points did not include a demand for an apology from the coach; according to Ronaldo, this was the second time a promise had been broken.
The dispute flared after Ronaldo left the national team camp amid disagreement over his role. Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in the Nations League. Sports outlets have also reported subsequent comments from Jesus leaving the door open to Ronaldo’s return.
Sport-Express gave Ronaldo’s national-team record as 146 goals in 234 appearances. With Portugal, he has won the 2016 European Championship and two Nations League titles, in 2018/19 and 2024/25.