Jorge Jesus has started his tenure as Portugal's head coach on a high note, guiding the national side to victories over Wales and Norway in the UEFA Nations League. Yet, as the squad prepares for Thursday’s clash in Denmark, the narrative has shifted to a tense "crisis" meeting involving captain Cristiano Ronaldo. The 41‑year‑old forward, who has been a fixture in Portugal’s starting eleven since his debut in 2003, sat out the entire Sunday win against Norway and missed training sessions on Monday and Tuesday.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has not disclosed any injury or medical problem that would explain his absence, leaving fans and pundits to speculate about the underlying reasons. Ronaldo’s role in the national team has become a recurring point of debate in recent seasons. After two decades as an automatic starter, the five‑time Ballon d'Or winner was surprisingly left out of the starting lineup by former coach Fernando Santos for Portugal’s knockout matches at the 2022 World Cup against Switzerland and Morocco. His successor, Roberto Martinez, promptly reinstated him, and Ronaldo started all ten of Portugal’s games in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 as well as the summer World Cup finals.
While his long‑time rival Lionel Messi, now 39, is set to play his final match for Argentina against Benin, there is no indication that Ronaldo, who currently plies his trade with Al Nassr, intends to hang up his Portugal boots any time soon. In a recent interview he hinted that he might retire from club football at the end of the season in June, but he affirmed his desire to keep contributing to the national side during the current international break. "I’m a thinker. You have to think," Ronaldo explained when asked whether he was contemplating retirement after the World Cup.
"That’s why you see me here now. It means I will continue. I spoke with the FPF president and our coach. I still believe I can help the national team achieve its goals, and I’ll step away only when I feel I’m no longer adding value." During Portugal’s 1‑0 triumph over Wales, Ronaldo recorded seven attempts on goal before being substituted in the 65th minute for Gonçalo Ramos.
Coach Jesus defended the decision, saying fresh legs were needed to press the Welsh centre‑backs and add speed to the defensive line. Three days later, against Norway, Ronaldo remained on the bench for the entire match.
"Whether we like it or not, Cris isn’t like João Neves, who is 20 and can play every three days," Jesus remarked, highlighting the physical demands on an older striker. Initially, Jesus had indicated that Ronaldo might feature in the Norway game, albeit not from the start. When the final whistle blew in Oslo, Ronaldo walked straight from the substitute bench down the tunnel, bypassing the customary team acknowledgment of the Portuguese supporters in the stands. After the match, Jesus said it "wasn't the right moment for Cris to come on" and that the flow of the game dictated the decision.
Anonymous sources speaking to The Athletic claim Ronaldo was visibly irritated by being left out, noting that this was only the third occasion he has been an unused substitute for Portugal – the previous instances being a Euro 2008 group game (after qualification was already secured) and a friendly against Croatia ahead of Euro 2024. The relationship between Jesus and Ronaldo is historically strong. Before taking the Portugal job, Jesus spent a season coaching Ronaldo at Al Nassr, guiding the Saudi club to a league title.
The 72‑year‑old Portuguese manager said his move to Saudi Arabia was largely motivated by Ronaldo’s invitation and his willingness to work with the star forward. Nevertheless, Portuguese sports daily Record described the latest episode as an "internal earthquake". On Tuesday, Ronaldo posted a photo of himself in national‑team training gear, accompanied by a heart emoji and the Portuguese flag, perhaps signaling a desire to mend fences. The following day, newspaper A Bola featured a front‑page headline reading "situacao de crise" (crisis situation).
B24 reported that an "emergency" meeting had been arranged involving Ronaldo, Jesus, and FPF president Pedro Proença. According to the federation, the gathering was less a formal meeting and more a direct conversation between Jesus and Ronaldo, underscoring the mutual respect that has defined their professional interactions. Publicly, Jesus has reiterated that Ronaldo remains an "important figure for Portugal, playing or not". At the start of the break, Ronaldo told the media that some segments of the Portuguese public seemed to no longer want him in the squad.
"I feel the Portuguese fans like me, but I understand that some TV channels want to criticize me," he said. "They've tried to kill me, but only with a shotgun.
They are dying for me not to come to the national team anymore." Ronaldo’s statistics are unrivaled: 234 caps and 146 goals, making him the most‑capped and highest‑scoring player in Portuguese history. He has appeared in twelve major tournaments, lifting the Euro 2016 trophy and securing Nations League titles in 2019 and 2024. His iconic status is unquestionable, yet the conversation about his future with the national team persists, fueled by age, performance considerations, and the emergence of younger attacking talents. The upcoming meeting is expected to address tactical usage, fitness management, and the broader question of how long Ronaldo can remain a decisive element for Portugal.
The article originally appeared in The Athletic.