Ronaldo breaks his silence: Jorge Jesus broke his word twice
· FOOTBALL LEGENDS
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo published a statement of nearly 2,000 words on Instagram explaining why he left the national team camp, after he was an unused substitute in the 2-1 Nations League win in Norway on September 27.
According to Ronaldo, coach Jorge Jesus had agreed that he would sit out the Norway and Denmark matches to manage his workload. On the day of the Norway match the coach told him he would play 30 minutes; he warmed up through the second half and did not come on.
He said a later meeting ended with an agreement that the coach would explain what happened at his next news conference, but that the coach's public remarks did not match what they had agreed, so he left the camp.
Ronaldo apologised to his teammates and the Portuguese fans for leaving and for not greeting the supporters after the Norway match, said the Portuguese Football Federation was entitled to judge and punish his conduct, and said he would remain available if he is physically fit.
Jesus has denied any such agreement, while leaving the door open for his return.
Data: ESPN & FotMob, checked when published. Written and analysed automatically by Football Legends from this data.
Table, fixtures and results: UEFA Nations League
Sources: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/50118693/ronaldo-jesus-broke-word-apologizes-portugal · https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/10/6/ronaldo-apologizes-for-portugal-walkout-says-jesus-broke-promise · https://www.beinsports.com/en-mena/football/articles-video/ronaldo-accuses-coach-jesus-of-broken-promises-but-leaves-portugal-return-open-2026-10-06