Emeka Moses
Cristiano Ronaldo said on Tuesday he will remain available to represent Portugal should they call him up again in a five-page letter seen by ESPN, while explaining his fallout with coach Jorge Jesus last week.
The statement was later shared on Ronaldo’s social media channels.
Ronaldo, 41, walked out on the Portugal camp after he was an unused substitute in the side’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League win away at Norway on Sept. 27, saying Jesus broke his word to him.
However, despite the friction with Jesus, the Al Nassr striker said he has not brought the curtain down on his international career just yet.
“If I am physically fit, playing for my club, scoring goals, I hope, that after serving whatever suspension is imposed on me, I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team,” Ronaldo said.
Ronaldo, who has scored a record 146 goals in 234 appearances for his country, also gave a detailed explanation of his fallout with Jesus, who coached the former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward in Saudi Arabia between 2025 and 2026.
He said it was not the fact that he did not play against Norway, but that Jesus “broke his word” once by not bringing him on and then a second time with his “aggressiveness” on the subject when he spoke to the press after the game.
“To my absolute surprise, the coach asked me whether I was ready to play 30 minutes [against Norway],” Ronaldo said, after detailing a previous meeting where it had been agreed he would not play.
“I was completely focused on my physical recovery, integrated with my teammates as always, and thinking that I would not play that day. I had no problem with that.
“This request was outside my physical recovery and training plan — because I was only supposed to play on Oct. 4 at the Dragão — but obviously I said yes. He told me to be prepared because I would play 30 minutes.
“Everyone knows what happened next. I warmed up from halftime, watched the minutes go by, and was not called upon.
“The coach had broken his word to me.”
After Ronaldo released his statement, Jesus told Portugal’s CMTV later Tuesday: “I just came from Leiria. I was watching a game there. I am going to read the note now. I have nothing else to say.”
Ronaldo said a plan was put in place after the Norway game to allow Jesus to draw a line under the issue by making a series of pre-agreed comments in a news conference on Sept. 29 ahead of the next game against Denmark two days later.
