Cristiano Ronaldo's international future remains uncertain after the Portugal captain left the national team camp amid a dispute with head coach Jorge Jesus. However, Jesus has now made it clear that the door remains open for the 41-year-old forward to return to the Portugal squad.
Speaking after Portugal's 2-1 win over Norway on Sunday, Jesus said Ronaldo could return "if he wants to", making it clear that the decision ultimately rests with the veteran forward. Portugal's victory also secured their place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals.
"For me, Cris, in the next call-up, if he's playing at Al-Nassr, he'll be a player who can be called up," Jesus told reporters, referring to Ronaldo's Saudi club side. "If he wants to, he'll return to the national team."
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What Happened Between Ronaldo And Jorge Jesus?
The dispute began after Ronaldo was left on the bench during Portugal's Nations League victory over Norway. Jesus had also indicated that Ronaldo would not start the team's next match against Denmark.
Ronaldo subsequently left Portugal's training camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday. The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed his departure, while Ronaldo later said he would explain what had happened at a later stage.
Jesus had previously acknowledged that Ronaldo was unhappy with the decision to leave him out, although the coach played down the extent of the disagreement. Portugal then defeated Denmark 4-2 without Ronaldo before beating Norway 2-1 to maintain their perfect start in Nations League Group A4.
Jorge Jesus Asked About Apology To Ronaldo
The Ronaldo episode continued to dominate questions at Jesus' press conference after the Norway match.
When asked whether he would apologise to Ronaldo over the incident, Jesus reacted angrily to the line of questioning and insisted that the situation had been exaggerated.
"Apologise for what? And what reason would drive me to apologise?" he said, before clarifying: "The main reason for all this is the player's warm-up. I take responsibility for the decision and what happened, but apologise for what? And to whom? This is ridiculous."
"Now, this has nothing to do with... I'm the coach; I call up whoever I want. I don't ask anyone who I want to call up or who will play. As a coach, there are several non-negotiable moments, and therefore, I can't be clearer than this, " he added.
O CLIMA ESQUENTOU NA COLETIVA DE PORTUGAL! ????⚠️ Jorge Jesus discutiu com um jornalista, que cobrava explicações sobre toda a polêmica envolvendo Cristiano Ronaldo. O treinador da seleção disse que "não pede desculpas a ninguém"... ???????? #MFM #NationsLeague https://t.co/XExgnQXkuj
— TNT Sports BR (@TNTSportsBR) October 4, 2026
At the same time, the Portugal coach did not shut the door on Ronaldo's return. Instead, Jesus said the forward could come back if he wanted to, suggesting that the relationship between the player and the national team is not necessarily beyond repair.
"In my opinion, you can't hold a one-year friendship against someone over a situation that is difficult to understand," Jesus noted further.
"Just because it was him. Just because it was him, and perhaps rightly so, because he is a symbol, this whole issue of warming up and not warming up, coming on and not coming on, has been created."
Jesus' comments are particularly significant because he previously coached Ronaldo at Al-Nassr and is now responsible for managing Portugal during a new Nations League campaign.
Bruno Fernandes Backs Ronaldo
Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes has also spoken publicly about Ronaldo's situation.
Fernandes said Ronaldo remains the greatest symbol of Portugal's national team and football, while stressing that there are no divisions within the squad.
The Manchester United midfielder also noted that Ronaldo deserves the opportunity to say goodbye to Portugal in the right way, adding another layer to the debate surrounding the veteran forward's international future.
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