Jorge Jesus Says He Was Unaware Of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Retirement

Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has revealed that he knew nothing about Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to retire from international football until the announcement became public.

Naija News reports that Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement in an Instagram video on Thursday, November 5, a day before Jesus was scheduled to name his squad for this month’s Nations League fixtures.

Speaking at a news conference earlier today, November 6, Jesus said he had intended to include the Al-Nassr striker in his squad because of his impressive performances.

“I found out when we all did,” Jesus said. “Until then, I knew nothing about it. He was playing, he was scoring goals; he was one of the players on my squad list.”

Ronaldo became available for selection again after serving a 30-day suspension from international duty, although Portugal did not play during that period.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward had left Portugal’s training camp in September after learning that he would not start the Nations League match against Denmark four days later.

He subsequently accused Jesus of having “broken his word” but admitted that he deserved punishment for leaving the camp without permission. Ronaldo also insisted at the time that he had no intention of retiring from international football.

Jesus, however, defended his handling of the disagreement, saying his decisions were based on the team’s interests.

“All my decisions were made with the team in mind,” he said. “As a manager, I have always defended what was best for the team. I am at peace with my decision.”

Ronaldo’s final international appearance came in Portugal’s 1-0 win over Wales in Lisbon on 24 September. He was an unused substitute in the subsequent match against Norway on 27 September.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner ends his international career with 146 goals in 234 appearances, making him the highest-scoring player in men’s international football. He made his debut for Portugal in 2003 and helped the country win the 2016 European Championship.

Jesus also confirmed that he had not contacted Ronaldo since the retirement announcement.

Meanwhile, Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca has promised to honour the former captain for his contributions to the national team.

“No tribute will ever be enough to thank him for everything he has done for Portuguese football, for Portugal,” Proenca said.

“The best way to honour and celebrate him is to honour his boundless ambition, to always play to win, to never be afraid of being the best in the world.

“Thank you for everything, captain. This is and always will be your home.”