Head coach of Portugal, Jorge Jesus, stated on Sunday that the door remains open for 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo to rejoin the squad for the upcoming international matches in November, despite his recent walkout from teammates.
Jesus confirmed that Ronaldo has the option to return to the national team if he chooses to do so. This statement followed the team's victory over Norway, which allowed them to advance to the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals without the veteran forward.
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The disagreement originated last week when Jesus opted to keep Ronaldo on the bench during Portugal's initial match against Norway. Subsequently, Ronaldo withdrew from the squad on Wednesday after being informed that he would not start against Denmark.
Jorge Jesus addressed the situation by saying, regarding Ronaldo's current club, Al-Nassr, that in the next call-up, "Cris" would be a player who could be selected, adding, "If he wants to, he'll return to the national team." The coach also mentioned that if Ronaldo desires a conversation before the next set of matches next month, such a discussion is possible, mirroring previous talks before the current call-up, though ultimately, Ronaldo will make the decision.
As a former player for Real Madrid and Manchester United, Ronaldo holds the records as Portugal's all-time top scorer and most-capped player. Jesus revealed that he had previously communicated to Ronaldo his necessity in the squad for his initial games after taking over from Roberto Martinez following the FIFA World Cup 2026. He emphasized that Ronaldo should conclude his tenure with the national team in the manner he prefers, stating, "Cristiano should end his time in the national team the way he wants, he's the one who will decide how he wants it."
Jesus reiterated his stance, recalling their prior discussions: "That's how we talked, the two of us — I said, 'I need you'. In my first call-up, I said, 'I need you, I need you to be close to me, playing or not playing, I need you'. And now I'm saying the same thing."
Ronaldo, who debuted for Portugal in 2003 at the age of 18, has previously indicated that this might be his final season in professional football. He has been a consistent member of the national team for over two decades and has participated in six World Cups. In Ronaldo's absence, Portugal managed to become the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals, with two group matches remaining.