Following Jorge Jesus's statement, Ronaldo refuses to return to the Portugal national team

6 October 2026, 18:06·82·Sport

A real conflict has erupted in the Portugal national football team. The 41-year-old legendary forward playing for Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo, has decided never to return to the national team under head coach Jorge Jesus. This was reported by Rui Santos, a well-known insider and journalist for the influential CNN Portugal TV channel.

According to sources, the conflict between Ronaldo and the head coach reached its peak during the recent matches in the UEFA Nations League.

How it all started: The bench and the broken promise

The misunderstanding between the star player and the experienced specialist arose during the Nations League Group Stage Matchday 2 fixture between Portugal and Norway (2:1):

Not bringing him on: Although Jorge Jesus had promised to bring Ronaldo on in the final minutes of the match, in reality, he left the 41-year-old forward on the bench for the entire game;
Protest and leaving the camp: Deeply angered by this situation, Ronaldo refused to attend the national team's official training session ahead of the Matchday 3 game against Denmark (4:2) and completely left the national team headquarters.

"I see no reason to apologize"

Instead of smoothing over the disagreement, head coach Jorge Jesus escalated the situation further during the press conference held after the return match against Norway (2:1) on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Nations League:

The coach's firm stance: While answering questions from media representatives, Jesus openly stated that he had no intention of apologizing to anyone for what happened, as he saw no reason or basis for it;
Final decision: Following this statement by the specialist, Cristiano Ronaldo made a firm decision not to return to the national team squad during this coach's tenure.

This open confrontation between the world football legend and the new head coach of the Portugal national team has intensified the atmosphere around the national team, sparking serious debates among fans and sports experts.