Jorge Jesus reportedly accepts Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal job despite massive pay cut from Al Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal‘s 2026 World Cup run is over, but the federation has wasted little time in shaping the next chapter. Just days after Roberto Martinez’s exit, Jorge Jesus has reportedly accepted the Portugal job, doing so despite taking a significant pay cut from his contract at Al Nassr.

Following the 1-0 defeat to Spain in the Round of 16, Martinez confirmed his departure with a measured farewell: “My era is over; now it is important to make a fresh start, and it is legitimate for the president to choose his own coach. I am grateful for all the support I received.“

The Portuguese Football Federation had already been thinking about a successor, with Martinez’s contract set to expire after the World Cup regardless of the result. According to Fabrizio Romano, Jorge Jesus is now set to take over, having agreed to a four-year deal with the Selecao.

Jesus arrives having spent several years in Saudi Arabia, most recently at Al Nassr, where he guided the club to the Saudi Pro League title alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Now at the helm of Portugal, the 71-year-old inherits a new cycle that includes the upcoming UEFA Nations League, Euro 2028, and the 2030 World Cup, which Portugal will co-host.

Jorge Jesus and a significant salary gap

Al Nassr had been keen to extend Jesus’s contract by another year, a move that would have aligned with Ronaldo’s current deal running through June 2027, and the club even raised its salary offer to keep him. Jesus, however, chose to hold out for the Portugal job, and the opportunity has now arrived.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Jesus will earn less than €4 million gross per year with the national team, totaling approximately €16 million over the life of the contract through 2030. That represents a dramatic reduction from the €12 million per year he was earning at Al Nassr, less than a third of his previous salary.

Will Ronaldo play under Jorge Jesus at Portugal?

Having gotten the best out of a 41-year-old Ronaldo at Al Nassr, Jesus’s appointment naturally raises the question of whether the legendary forward will continue his international career under his former club manager. After the Spain defeat, Ronaldo reiterated that 2026 was his last World Cup, but stopped short of announcing a full international retirement, saying he would “have time to think, be with my family, not make decisions in the heat of the moment, and move on with life.“

With his Al Nassr contract running through 2027, Ronaldo is expected to remain in club football for at least one more season. In that window, Portugal’s next international fixtures begin in September with UEFA Nations League matches against Wales and Norway, with the quarterfinal round scheduled for March 2027 and the Final Four in June 2027. That timeline makes the Nations League a realistic candidate to serve as the final chapter of Ronaldo’s international career.