Newsletters
Cristiano Ronaldo has ruled out retiring from international football despite his dispute with Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus, saying he intends to return to the national team after serving any suspension imposed over his decision to leave the training camp.
The Portugal captain acknowledged that walking out of camp was wrong and apologized to his teammates and supporters, but said his decision came after what he described as repeated broken promises by Jesus.
"If I am physically fit, playing for my club, and hopefully scoring goals, after serving the suspension that will be imposed on me, I will be available, as I have always been until now, to compete and win for our National Team," Ronaldo said in a statement posted on Instagram.
Ronaldo said Jesus had initially set out a plan for managing his playing time, including an agreement that he would not feature in Portugal's away matches against Norway and Denmark.
However, Ronaldo said Jesus approached him on the day of the Norway match and asked whether he would be ready to play for 30 minutes. Ronaldo agreed and warmed up at halftime, but was ultimately not sent onto the pitch.
"The coach had broken his word to me," Ronaldo said.
According to Ronaldo, he later held talks with Jesus and Al Nassr Sporting Director Simao Coutinho, during which they agreed that the Portugal coach would publicly explain what had happened.
Ronaldo said Jesus did not follow through on that agreement either, which he described as a second breach of trust.
"I decided to quit the training camp without waiting for any more broken promises. For me, the truth is still the most important thing in relationships between people. No matter how much it hurts, I need to be told the truth," he said.
Despite laying out his grievances with Jesus, Ronaldo said his departure from the camp was still the wrong decision and accepted responsibility for it.
"I also owe an apology to my teammates for abandoning the training camp," Ronaldo said. "Despite the complete breach of trust in the coach's word, as anyone who witnessed these conversations can attest, I shouldn't have done it. The responsibility is solely mine."
The Al Nassr forward also apologized to supporters, including for not greeting fans after the Norway match.
Ronaldo said the Portuguese Football Federation, known by its Portuguese initials FPF, should decide what punishment he faces, adding that his position as national team captain should count as an aggravating factor.
Ronaldo said he had considered stepping away from international football following the 2026 World Cup but changed his mind after the FPF president asked him to carry on.
Addressing speculation over whether the dispute could bring forward the end of his Portugal career, Ronaldo said farewell matches would eventually come but made clear that his immediate focus remained on competing for the national team.
"When I think about the national team, what I really think about is competing," he said.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
