Portugal Coach Says He Hasn't Seen Ronaldo's Statement

Portugal's coach, Jorge Jesus, said on Tuesday night that he has not read Cristiano Ronaldo's long statement about their recent disagreement. He explained that he was watching the Portugal under-21 team play instead.

Football expert Fabrizio Romano posted on X on Wednesday, quoting Jesus as saying, "I didn’t read Cristiano’s statement, I was watching Portugal U21 game," Jesus told reporters. "I will now have time to read it."

These comments came just hours after Ronaldo, who is 41 years old, shared a detailed account of what led him to leave the national team training camp last week.

In his statement, the Al Nassr forward accused Jesus of breaking promises twice. First, he said Jesus promised him about 30 minutes of playtime against Norway in the UEFA Nations League but left him on the bench after a long warm-up. Second, he claimed Jesus failed to make agreed public clarifications during a press conference.

Ronaldo mentioned that they had talked about a plan to manage his playing time during the international window. He added that a later private meeting with federation officials produced a list of points Jesus was supposed to address publicly. Ronaldo said these points did not appear in what the coach actually said.

Ronaldo apologized to his teammates and fans for how he left. He accepted that he could face disciplinary action but kept the possibility of returning open.

Jesus, who took over as coach of Portugal after the 2026 World Cup and worked with Ronaldo at Al Nassr, has insisted that there is no major crisis. He said the rules for the squad apply to all players equally.

Portugal has remained unbeaten under the experienced coach in Nations League matches this autumn.