Jose Mourinho believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s career is far from over after Portugal national team retirement

Cristiano Ronaldo’s farewell from the Portugal national team has drawn reactions from across the soccer world, and one of the most anticipated came from a man who knows him better than most. Jose Mourinho, who coached Ronaldo for three seasons at Real Madrid (2010-2013), was asked about the news on Friday, a day after the forward announced the end of his international career.

Speaking at his press conference ahead of Real Madrid’s LaLiga trip to Valencia, Mourinho first made clear that he did not want to dwell on the decision itself. “His decision must be respected, and I do respect it,” he said, before adding that he does not see it as a full retirement. “It is not retirement,” the Portuguese coach explained, drawing a line between the end of Ronaldo’s time with the national team and the rest of his career.

“He hasn’t ended his career, those who know him are aware that he still has goals,” Mourinho continued, before sharing a wish tied to the timing of the announcement: “The only thing I would like is for his retirement as a footballer to be on a different day than yesterday”.

His words carry extra weight given where Ronaldo stands today. The forward remains Al Nassr’s top scorer this season and is under contract with the club until 2027. He is also coming off a hat trick that took him to 985 career goals, just 15 short of the historic 1,000, and Mourinho appears to understand that Ronaldo’s story is still being written, even after leaving his international duty.

Could Ronaldo become a coach after retirement?

Mourinho was also asked whether he could picture Ronaldo following his path into coaching one day, but the Portuguese coach chose not to look that far ahead. “If I see him as a coach, I can’t say, I don’t know what may go through his head. It’s too early to even comment. He’s still a football player,” he said.

The answer reflects the same idea that ran through the rest of his comments: for Mourinho, Ronaldo’s retirement from Portugal is a closed chapter with the national team, not a step toward life after soccer. Speaking about his former player in the present tense, the coach made clear that the conversation about what comes next can wait.

For now, Ronaldo has plenty left to do on the pitch. The forward is defending the Saudi Pro League title he won last season, with Al Nassr currently third in the table, and his next test comes on Nov. 20 against Al Qadsiah. Whether he ends up on the bench someday remains an open question, but those who know him, as Mourinho said, are well aware that he still has goals.