Cristiano Ronaldo’s international retirement has brought an unexpected chapter in his relationship with Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus, with the timing of his announcement raising fresh questions about their strained relationship. While the 41-year-old has officially closed the door on representing his country, Jesus has now explained how he would have approached the situation had Ronaldo chosen to continue his international career.
The Al-Nassr forward announced his retirement on November 5, 2026, ending a remarkable 23-year spell with Portugal. His decision came after months of tension with Jesus, who addressed the announcement during a press conference ahead of naming his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.
Jesus was asked whether he had attempted to contact Ronaldo following the announcement and whether he felt responsible for the timing of the forward’s departure. The Portugal coach made it clear that he had not reached out to his former player. “I did not try to contact Cristiano,” Jesus said.
He also acknowledged that Ronaldo’s retirement would inevitably be associated with his own time in charge of the national team. Jesus is contracted to the Portuguese Football Federation until 2030, meaning the forward’s departure happened during his four-year tenure. “History was bound to record that Ronaldo ended his international career during the four-year period of my contract with the Portuguese Football Federation, which runs until 2030,” he explained.
Jesus says Ronaldo’s retirement announcement came as a surprise
The Portugal coach revealed that he had no advance knowledge of Ronaldo’s decision. According to Jesus, he discovered the news at the same time as the public, after the forward shared his retirement video and statement on social media.
When asked whether he had been informed beforehand, Jesus responded: “I found out about the decision at the same time as everyone else. I was informed of his decision yesterday, just as you were, after he published the video and statement announcing it.”
He added that Ronaldo had remained part of his selection plans until the announcement, pointing to the forward’s continued performances at club level. “Until that moment, I knew absolutely nothing. He was playing and scoring goals, and he was one of the players included in my squad selection.”
What would Jorge Jesus have done if Ronaldo delayed his retirement?
The most revealing part of Jesus’s response concerned what might have happened if Ronaldo had decided to postpone his international retirement. Despite the reported tension between the pair, the coach indicated that he would have been prepared to bring the veteran forward back into his plans. “If he had not made this decision now and had felt that the right time to return was later, I would have backed him to remain part of my plans once again,” Jesus said.
He suggested that Ronaldo could have continued representing Portugal during the Nations League campaign, meaning Jesus would still have been connected to the eventual end of the striker’s international career. “This would have happened at some point during the Nations League campaign, and I would still have been associated with Ronaldo’s departure from the national team,” he added.
Jesus then made one final qualification, suggesting that the only way he might have avoided being associated with Ronaldo’s international farewell would have been if the forward had continued playing for Portugal until the end of the coach’s contract in 2030. “Unless, of course, he continued playing until 2030,” the experienced coach concluded.
