Ronaldo says Jorge Jesus broke promises, apologises for leaving Portugal camp
Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) in Barcelona accused Portugal coach Jorge Jesus of breaking his word about playing time in Nations League matches and apologised for walking out of the national team camp. In a statement, the 41-year-old said he remained available to represent Portugal and that he would accept any suspension imposed for his departure.
Ronaldo released a near-2,000-word statement addressing his actions after being left on the bench for the Nations League match against Norway and then being told he would not start the following game with Denmark. The striker said Jesus had presented a plan for the international window which Ronaldo rejected, and that a breakdown in trust over promised game time prompted his decision to leave. Jesus was appointed after Portugal were knocked out of the World Cup Round of 16, a fact Ronaldo referenced when describing the coach’s initial proposals for the window.
“I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team,” Ronaldo said in the statement and added: “I owe an apology to my national team teammates for having left the camp.” He accepted responsibility for the walkout, writing: “Despite the absolute breakdown of trust in the head coach’s word... I shouldn’t have done it. The responsibility is mine alone.”
Ronaldo described the proposal from Jesus as one that would have had him start the opening and final home games but not travel to Norway and Denmark; he said he rejected that plan because it would set a poor example for the captain to remain in Portugal while team-mates travelled. The Al-Nassr forward said Jesus later asked if he was fit for 30 minutes ahead of the Norway game, he warmed up from half-time but ultimately was not brought on, and he accused the coach directly: “The head coach failed to keep his word to me.”
Ronaldo said he and Jesus spoke after the Norway fixture and agreed the coach would apologise in a news conference before the Denmark match, but that the press conference proved different from what they had agreed and displayed an “aggressiveness” he had not previously experienced from Jesus. “It was the second time he failed to keep his word. I decided to leave the camp without waiting for any further broken promises,” wrote Ronaldo.
On discipline, Ronaldo said he would accept punishment for his departure: “The consequence of this act of mine must be assessed and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation,” he explained, adding: “I understand that the punishment should not have mitigating circumstances. I’m not just any player, I’m the team captain, and that is an aggravating factor.” He also apologised to Portugal supporters, stating: “I apologise to the Portuguese people once again, but a broken word has, for me, a defining impact.”
Portugal won all four of their Nations League matches and qualified for the quarter-finals with two games to spare; Ronaldo remains Portugal’s most capped player and all-time top goalscorer, details he referenced while outlining his stance in the statement.
