Cristiano Ronaldo's international career with Portugal appears to be over following a significant rift with coach Jorge Jesus. The disagreement arose after Ronaldo was not used as a substitute in Portugal's 2-1 victory over Norway, despite a prior verbal agreement that he would not start but might come off the bench.
Coach Jesus, who replaced Roberto Martínez after the World Cup, has adopted a hardline approach, insisting on the primacy of the team over any individual. He stated, “Because it’s not Cristiano, just like it will never be any player that will change my ideas as the coach. Never! Not him, not anyone in football.”
Ronaldo subsequently walked out on the squad, reportedly after Jesus refused to apologise for the incident. The Portuguese football federation is now said to be planning a farewell game for the country's record scorer, suggesting they have accepted the end of his international career.
Portugal has since achieved four wins out of four in their recent matches, including a 4-2 victory over Denmark and a home win against Norway. Gonçalo Ramos, who replaced Ronaldo at the 2022 World Cup, has been instrumental, scoring the winner against Norway and contributing to the win against Denmark.
While Jesus has offered Ronaldo another meeting to resolve the situation, both Jesus and Ronaldo are expected to comment further this week.