In the long arc from Madrid to Turin, Manchester, Riyadh and now an uneasy Portugal camp, Cristiano Ronaldo’s international future appears to have reached its most strained point. The 41-year-old forward has left the national-team gathering after a dispute surrounding his role under Jorge Jesus, following years in which moments of brilliance have increasingly been accompanied by ruptures with coaches, clubs and dressing rooms.
The immediate flashpoint came in the UEFA Nations League, shortly after the 2026 World Cup in North America. Ronaldo began Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway among the substitutes. He was sent to warm up during the second half but was not used, a decision that angered the captain, who believed an earlier understanding with Jesus had not been honoured.
Before the following match against Denmark, Jesus made clear that reputation alone would not guarantee any player a starting place. Ronaldo then departed the squad, taking an overnight flight to Madrid. In a farewell message posted afterwards, he suggested that his time with Portugal may be over and said he would give his account of the episode at the appropriate moment. The episode has also placed his relationship with the Portuguese federation under renewed strain.
A decline marked by high-profile departures
Ronaldo’s career had seemed close to untouchable on 26 May 2018, when Real Madrid celebrated a third consecutive Champions League title and the fifth European Cup of his career. Yet his farewell during those Madrid celebrations opened a different chapter. One month later, Juventus signed him as the club sought to turn domestic supremacy in Italy into Champions League success.
That continental prize never arrived in Turin. Juventus’ long reign in Serie A ended in 2021, and Ronaldo returned to Manchester United that same year. His second spell at Old Trafford became increasingly difficult in 2022, after the death of his newborn daughter caused him to miss the club’s pre-season preparations.
Tension grew with Erik ten Hag, who increasingly used Ronaldo from the bench. The situation became a wider issue inside the United squad when the Portuguese forward refused to come on against Tottenham and left the stadium before the final whistle. His relationship with the club was then broken beyond repair after an interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticised both Ten Hag and United’s leadership. The parties ended his contract by mutual agreement in November 2022, before his move to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Portugal’s earlier warning signs
The national-team tension had already been visible at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo reacted angrily when Fernando Santos substituted him during Portugal’s group-stage match with South Korea, prompting public dissatisfaction from the coach.
Santos responded by leaving his captain out of the starting side for the last-16 tie with Switzerland. Portugal won 6-1, giving the decision sporting justification, but Ronaldo’s exclusion fuelled arguments within the squad and among supporters and commentators. He was again a substitute for the quarter-final against Morocco, entering the match without being able to prevent Portugal’s elimination.
Ronaldo’s tears after that defeat became one of the defining images of Portugal’s tournament, while the internal fallout contributed to the end of Santos’ time in charge. Four years later, under a different manager and after another major tournament, the same question has returned: whether Portugal can still accommodate its most celebrated player on terms that satisfy both the forward and the team.
