Cristiano Ronaldo pens letter to fans as Portuguese star feels betrayed by coach Jorge Jesus

Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted to the recent incidents involving National team head coach Jorge Jesus at the Portuguese football team camp on Wednesday. The former Real Madrid forward said a breach of trust between him and Head Coach Jorge Jesus has led to a fallout between them.

During Portugal’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Norway, Ronaldo was visibly upset by Jesus's decision to make him warm up and later leave him on the bench, which eventually led to the player leaving the national squad.

The 41-year-old said in an Instagram post that he had previously decided to end his career with the national team after the 2026 World Cup, but decided to continue only after the President of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) asked him to reconsider and remain with the National Team. The forward also said he endorsed Jorge Jesus as head coach of the national team, after working under him at Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.

“We met at Cidade do Futebol, where my club (Al Nassr) was holding its pre-season camp. The Head Coach told me that day that he counted on me and that my presence was essential to his project. He presented me, right there, with a plan for my involvement. He told me I would play the first and the last match, and that for fitness management reasons he would always make three or four changes per game,” wrote the Portuguese skipper on his Instagram handle.

Furthermore, the Al Nassr star revealed that the ‘head coach’ assured him he was essential to the National team project and presented a plan to clarify his involvement. Jesus initially proposed that the veteran play only home games and avoid travelling to away fixtures to manage load. This, however, was swiftly opposed by Ronaldo, pointing out that it would set a bad example to the team, especially while being the captain of the team and insisted to travel with the squad.

Jesus initially proposed that Ronaldo skip away matches in Norway and Denmark. After his refusal, the coach agreed to play him in the first game against Wales at Alvalade and the fourth fixture at Dragoa. Ronaldo said he was substituted during this game despite assurances he would play full time; however, he did not complain. Ronaldo further sharpened his attack against Jesus, saying that playing against Norway was not on the cards, but was surprised when the coach asked him to play without proper recovery, which he complied with. Despite asking him to warm-up, he was not given playing time during the game.

The Portugese top scorer said that this incident amounted to a breach of trust and that led him to leave the National team camp. He also confirmed that he met with Jesus after the incident and provided a list of statements for the manager to confess during his press conference.

The document included the manager taking accountability for the decisions regarding Cristiano Ronaldo continuing with the national team. Ronaldo wanted the manager to admit that he made a mistake by making a player of Pele and Maradona stature warm up and not putting him in the game.

The Portuguese confirmed that there is no question regarding his commitment to the nation, citing that he continues to attend camp even during his dad’s demise at a young age. Meanwhile, Ronaldo apologised to the fans and fellow teammates for leaving the camp out of nowhere. The forward also confirmed that he aims to face the consequences for leaving the camp and is ready to serve the national team even after his suspension, denying any rumours of a farewell.