Jorge Jesus, the head coach of Portugal's national team, has revealed that he learned of Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement from international football at the same moment as the rest of the world, with no advance warning from the superstar forward.
Ronaldo, now 41, announced his decision in an Instagram video on Thursday, just one day before Jesus was scheduled to name his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures. The timing left the coach scrambling, as he had intended to include the in-form Al-Nassr forward in his selection.
No Prior Notice
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Jesus made clear that Ronaldo had not informed him beforehand. "I found out when we all did," he said. "Until then, I knew nothing about it. He was playing, he was scoring goals; he was one of the players on my squad list."
The revelation adds another layer to an already strained relationship between the two men, who worked together at Al-Nassr last season. Ronaldo had returned to international contention after serving a 30-day suspension, a period that did not include any national team matches.
Fallout From September
The suspension stemmed from an incident in September when Ronaldo left the Portugal camp after being told he would not start the Nations League match against Denmark four days later. Ronaldo later stated that Jesus had "broken his word" but acknowledged he deserved punishment for his premature departure. At the time, he insisted he had no plans to retire from international football.
Jesus grew visibly irritated on Friday as reporters pressed him on the dispute. "All my decisions were made with the team in mind," he said. "As a manager, I have always defended what was best for the team. I am at peace with my decision."
A Record-Breaking Career
Ronaldo's final international appearance came in a 1-0 win over Wales in Lisbon on 24 September, after which he was an unused substitute against Norway on 27 September. He retires with a staggering 146 goals from 234 games for Portugal, both men's world records, since his debut in 2003. He also played a pivotal role in Portugal's Euro 2016 triumph.
While Jesus confirmed he had not contacted Ronaldo since the announcement, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Pedro Proenca, pledged to honour the former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward.
"No tribute will ever be enough to thank him for everything he has done for Portuguese football, for Portugal," Proenca said. "The best way to honour and celebrate him is to honour his boundless ambition, to always play to win, to never be afraid of being the best in the world. Thank you for everything, captain. This is and always will be your home."
Ronaldo's retirement marks the end of an era for Portuguese football, closing a chapter on one of the most decorated international careers the sport has ever seen.
