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Ronaldo breaks silence on Portugal walkout, denies retiring
Published : Wednesday, 7 October, 2026 at 11:03 AM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence over his Portugal walkout, accusing head coach Jorge Jesus of broken promises while insisting he is not retiring from international football.
The 41-year-old forward released a lengthy statement across 11 Instagram slides to his 679 million followers, clarifying his future with the national team. He stated that he remains available to play once he serves any potential suspension applied to him.
His statement came shortly before his long-time rival Lionel Messi was scheduled to deliver an emotional farewell to international football in Argentina.
Ronaldo left the national team camp in Copenhagen prior to a Nations League match against Denmark. This followed an earlier fixture against Norway on September 27, where he was kept as an unused substitute despite warming up from halftime.
Ronaldo apologized to the fans for failing to greet them after the Norway match, attributing his behavior to frustration over broken promises by Jesus, who had allegedly promised him 30 minutes of playing time.
According to Ronaldo, a subsequent meeting involving Al Nassr sporting director Simao Coutinho and strategic adviser Tiago Craveiro resulted in an eight-point agreement detailing how Jesus would address the media. The points outlined that Ronaldo never demanded playing time, that warming him up without bringing him on was a mistake, and that Jesus wanted him to remain a core part of the national team.
However, Ronaldo claimed that Jesus completely departed from this agreed narrative during his press conference, adopting an aggressive tone. Feeling that his trust had been broken for a second time, Ronaldo decided to pack his bags and leave the squad. Jesus later denied that any such agreement existed between them.
Ronaldo apologized to his teammates and the Portuguese public for his departure, asking the Portuguese Football Federation to hand down whatever punishment it deems necessary without leniency. He clarified that he never interferes in technical decisions and left only because he felt his continued presence would harm the group dynamic.
In his statement, Ronaldo also revealed that he had written an international retirement letter following the World Cup. However, Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca convinced him to continue while returning from North America. Proenca also consulted Ronaldo regarding the appointment of Jorge Jesus, a choice Ronaldo initially supported.
While Ronaldo acknowledged that his international career will eventually include official farewell matches, he stressed that his focus remains on active competition for Portugal whenever called upon.
-SA
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
