Ronaldo vows to continue with Portugal after blaming coach Jorge Jesus for squad walkout

Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed he will not retire from international football following his walkout from the Portugal squad during the current Nations League window, instead blaming new head coach Jorge Jesus for a breakdown in trust that prompted his departure.

In a lengthy statement issued through the Portuguese media on Tuesday, the 41-year-old said Jesus had failed to honour an agreed plan over his playing time and then spoke “aggressively” at a press conference rather than publicly accepting responsibility. Ronaldo said that sequence of events destroyed the mutual trust required for him to remain with the group.

“I can promise all my fans, and naturally especially all Portuguese people, that we will have one or more farewell matches. There will be time for that,” Ronaldo said in the statement.

He went on to confirm his availability going forward: “Therefore, if I am physically fit, playing for my club, hopefully scoring goals, then after serving whatever suspension is imposed on me, I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team.”

Ronaldo acknowledged that his exit from the squad was not without fault on his own part, saying he owed his teammates an apology and fully expected to be punished by the Portuguese Football Federation. The nature and length of any potential ban has not yet been confirmed.

The walkout drew immediate comparisons to Lionel Messi’s recent retirement from Argentina duty, but Ronaldo was emphatic that his international career is not over. The statement represents his most detailed public account of the falling-out with Jesus, who was only recently appointed as Portugal head coach.

Ronaldo said the two had reached an understanding about how his minutes would be managed across the Nations League fixtures, but that Jesus did not follow through on those commitments — a claim that puts the coach under significant pressure to respond publicly.