Ronaldo accuses Jorge Jesus of breaking his word and compares himself to Pelé

Cristiano Ronaldo spoke out Tuesday evening in a lengthy message posted on social media, just days after his abrupt departure from Portugal’s national team gathering. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner accused coach Jorge Jesus of failing to honour his commitments on two occasions, and explicitly compared himself to Pelé and Diego Maradona.

CR7 first confirmed what the Portuguese press had already revealed: he wished to end his international career after the 2026 World Cup, the Portuguese Football Federation pressured him to extend, and several discussions took place with Jorge Jesus regarding the management of his playing time.

The heart of the dispute concerns the October 27 match against Norway. According to Ronaldo, an assistant coach told him he would play for thirty minutes when he was originally scheduled to rest. He prepared accordingly, but ultimately was not used. After his anger behind the scenes, the two men reportedly reached an agreement formalized in a multi-point document. The sixth point, which Jorge Jesus was supposed to state publicly at a press conference, stipulated notably: “I made a mistake by warming up someone of the stature of Pelé or Maradona before ultimately not bringing him on. If I had to do it again today, I would not do it.” The coach did not say any of these words, which Ronaldo describes as “the second time he did not keep his word to me”.

The 39-year-old striker also clarified that he had never demanded a public apology from Jorge Jesus, nuancing the narratives circulating in the press. To conclude, he apologized to his teammates and Portuguese supporters, promising them “one or more farewell matches” before definitively hanging up his boots with the national team.