Ronaldo retires from international football without informing manager Jorge Jesus

Cristiano Ronaldo ended his international career on Thursday, announcing his retirement from the Seleção on social media at age 41. The striker leaves the international stage as Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer (146 goals), most-capped player (234 caps) and three-time major tournament winner with his nation — Euro 2016, the Nations League 2019 and 2025.

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Ronaldo informed FPF president Pedro Proença of his decision but deliberately kept manager Jorge Jesus in the dark. The two men have been at odds since the last international break, when Ronaldo publicly criticized Jesus for a lack of respect and honesty. The timing of the announcement is significant: the player reportedly learned he was on the squad list Jesus was about to announce on Friday, and preempted the call-up by making his retirement public, forcing the manager to revise his plans.

This announcement comes a month after a turbulent episode: Ronaldo had left the national team in dramatic fashion on the eve of a Nations League match in Denmark. The FPF had handed him a 30-day suspension and a symbolic fine of €255, a sanction he accepted without comment, giving no hint of what was to come.

Despite recent tensions, Pedro Proença paid tribute to his captain’s departure in an official statement. “For Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo will be far more than just a player. Man, athlete, reference, hero, leader,” wrote the FPF president, adding that the doors of the national team would always remain “open” to him. Proença also paid homage to the player’s global impact: “Around the world, whenever Portugal was mentioned, the answer was: Cristiano Ronaldo.”

After 23 years at the highest level of international football, Ronaldo’s departure leaves a considerable void within a Seleção that must now build an identity without its historic captain — a task Jorge Jesus will have to undertake without him, and apparently without having had the final say.