Portugal’s 4-2 win over Denmark should have brought a clean end to a difficult week, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s dispute with Jorge Jesus still hangs over the national team. Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation, is attempting to create a path back towards calmer relations after failing to settle the row in Copenhagen before the Nations League match against Denmark.
Proença is understood to be considering another meeting next week, once the international window is over and Portugal have faced Norway in Porto on Sunday. Jorge Jesus is not expected to reject the proposal and would make himself available for talks with Ronaldo, whose relationship with the coach has deteriorated despite an earlier intervention briefly easing the situation.
The federation’s immediate aim is not thought to be an instant recall for the Al-Nassr forward. Instead, Proença wants to build a medium-term solution that would allow Ronaldo to return without unsettling the squad, while restoring some continuity around the national side.
A final international chapter still in view
Jesus reignited the issue when he used a press conference to underline his authority, following the initial attempt at mediation. Yet the Portuguese federation still hopes the two men can at least reach a working, respectful relationship and allow Ronaldo to close his international career in suitable fashion.
The 41-year-old remains an extraordinary figure in Portugal’s history. He is the country’s all-time leading scorer with 146 goals and its most capped player, having made 234 appearances. A permanent international retirement could also affect federation revenues, while Ronaldo’s absence has already been felt across Portugal’s social-media channels.
On the pitch, however, Portugal have responded strongly to the turbulence. Thursday’s victory over Denmark was their third win in three matches since Jesus took charge, and it has put the team within reach of an early Nations League quarter-final qualification.
Sunday’s meeting with Norway now offers Portugal another chance to strengthen that position. It may also mark the point at which the federation tries once more to bring Ronaldo and Jesus into the same room, with reconciliation still uncertain but not yet beyond reach.
