Cristiano Ronaldo issues stark message before Jorge Jesus makes Portugal bow | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo set out a blunt stance on his Portugal future on the eve of Jorge Jesus’s debut, saying he would walk away if he is not wanted.

According to Coluna Do Fla, Jesus’s first game in charge is against Wales on Thursday 24 in the Nations League, kicking off at 15:45 Brasília time.

He said that if the coach or president do not count on him, and if he is not contributing, not scoring or harming the mood, he will leave. If they do count on him, he counts on them, insisting his numbers show he still makes a difference, and that if one day he is not wanted he will still help and remain the federation’s number one supporter.

At 41, Ronaldo drew heavy criticism during the last World Cup. In Portugal, debate has focused on whether he is picked for stature rather than current form.

Even so, Jesus named him for the first post-World Cup camp. This window features four games, including Norway twice and Denmark.

Despite the call-up, Ronaldo is expected to start on the bench. The final training session pointed to Diogo Costa in goal, a back four of João Cancelo, Tomás Araújo, Rúben Dias and Nuno Mendes, a midfield of Palhinha, João Neves and Vitinha, with Bruno Fernandes, Gonçalo Ramos and João Félix in attack.

Jesus was appointed in July to replace Roberto Martínez. He previously coached Ronaldo at Al Nassr in the first half of 2026.

Source: Coluna Do Fla

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”