Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed his continued availability for Portugal after explaining his decision to leave the national team camp and accusing head coach Jorge Jesus of breaking an agreement regarding his playing time.
The 41-year-old Al Nassr forward had raised questions about his international future following his abrupt departure from the squad, but clarified that he remains committed to representing his country.
“If I am physically well, playing for my club, with goals I hope, after serving the suspension that may be applied to me, I will be available — as I have always been until today — to compete and win for our national team,” Ronaldo said in a statement shared with Reuters.
Ronaldo also apologised to his teammates and the Portuguese public for leaving the camp, adding that he would accept any disciplinary action imposed by the Portuguese Football Federation.
The forward left the squad after remaining an unused substitute during Portugal’s 2-1 away victory over Norway in the Nations League on September 27. According to Ronaldo, he and Jesus had previously agreed that he would sit out the Norway and Denmark matches as part of a plan to manage his workload.
However, Ronaldo claimed the manager changed the arrangement on the day of the match, telling him he would feature for 30 minutes.
“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from half-time onwards, watched the minutes tick by, and wasn’t called on,” Ronaldo said. “The manager had broken his word to me. It was the second time he had done so, and I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for any further broken promises.”
Following the Norway match, Jesus denied reaching any such agreement with Ronaldo, though he left the door open for the veteran forward to return to the squad.
Ronaldo also rejected suggestions that he had ever attempted to influence team selection or management decisions during his international career.
“Never, at any moment, have I interfered in any technical or tactical decision of any coach or national team manager in almost 25 years of my career,” he stated. “I accept, for better or worse, what they propose that I do. I respect their decisions. But when they break their word to me, I feel that my place is not there.”
Addressing speculation about an impending retirement, Ronaldo noted that while he expects to have one or more farewell matches in the future, his focus remains strictly on competing.
“I can promise all my fans — and especially the Portuguese people — that we will have one or more farewell matches; there will be time for that. But when I think of the national team, what I really think of is competing,” he said.
To underline his dedication, Ronaldo recalled remaining with the national squad following the death of his father during an international camp years ago, emphasizing that his commitment to Portugal has never wavered.
Ronaldo is Portugal’s all-time record goalscorer and most-capped player, with 146 goals in 234 international appearances.
While the dispute with Jesus initially cast uncertainty over his immediate future, Ronaldo’s latest statement makes it clear that he intends to remain available for selection, subject to his fitness and any pending disciplinary sanctions.
