Cristiano Ronaldo has faced no shortage of questions about his fitness and how much longer he can keep playing at the international level, and during Tuesday’s press conference ahead of Portugal’s Nations League opener against Wales, head coach Jorge Jesus decided to address the criticism head-on.
“Allow me to weigh in on the discussion surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo here. I’ve noticed that what concerns you journalists most is how much longer he has left in his career, and whether he still has the physical fitness required to continue playing. Cristiano is an icon for Portugal and the national team. Of course, a player’s right to play in matches is a factor, but the final decision always rests with the coach,” Jesus said.
The coach went further, offering a concrete example of the impact Ronaldo still has on the national team beyond the pitch. “After spending a full year with him, I now fully understand the value Cristiano represents for Portugal. Let me give you a clear example: we played a match in Hong Kong at a stadium with a capacity of 55,000. When Cristiano didn’t play, only 3,000 people attended. When he played, the stadium was completely full with 55,000 spectators. That is the difference Cristiano makes,” he said.
The defense comes at a moment when Ronaldo himself has had to field repeated questions about his future, and it lines up with the broader picture painted throughout the same press conference: a coach and federation who continue to lean on him, and a player who insists he’ll only stick around for as long as that remains true.
Cristiano Ronaldo is used to critics
Jesus‘s comments came shortly after Ronaldo addressed the criticism himself, making clear it’s nothing new to him at this stage of his career. He acknowledged that certain outlets have made a habit of going after him over the years, brushing off any notion that the attacks have ever come close to affecting him, joking that he’s practically learned to dodge the bullets by now.
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After more than two decades in the spotlight, Ronaldo said he’s simply grown accustomed to the noise, choosing instead to focus on the people who support him rather than those who don’t. “What I can control, I control. What I cannot control, I don’t control,” he said, summing up an approach that has clearly carried him through years of scrutiny without shaking his standing in the squad.
Ronaldo believes Jorge Jesus is the right coach for Portugal
Ronaldo was also asked whether Jesus, a manager he’s long been familiar with during their time at Al Nassr, is the right fit to get the best out of the national team at this stage of the rebuild. He didn’t hesitate, calling the appointment the perfect choice given everything the squad already knows about how the Portuguese coach operates.
He framed the new setup as a clean break from what came before, pointing to a different atmosphere, tactical approach, and even language in the dressing room, while noting that several of his teammates have already worked under Jesus and should help the transition move faster. “Therefore, we are all confident and hopeful that things will go well. It will be a long challenge; the manager will be here for many years, and I wish him all the best,” he said, closing his answer by framing the appointment as a long-term project.
