Jorge Jesus: I do not feel guilty about Ronaldo leaving the national team

Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has said he was surprised by Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to bid farewell to the national team, but that he feels no guilt whatsoever over that choice.

Ronaldo, who announced earlier this week that he was bringing his Portugal career to an end, steps away as the most capped player and the all-time leading goalscorer in the history of men's international football. Since his debut in 2003, the 41-year-old star has found the net 146 times in 234 matches, and he captained his country to its first ever major trophy at Euro 2016. The veteran, who also celebrated Nations League triumphs in 2019 and 2025, had been expected to retire from international football after this year's World Cup exit in the round of 16.

Persuaded to stay on by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Ronaldo walked out of the national team camp during the last international break after being left on the bench for the Nations League meeting with Norway. Handed a 30-day suspension by the FPF following that incident, the star decided to quit international football altogether ahead of the matches against Denmark and Norway.

Jorge Jesus made seven changes to the squad he named for this month's Nations League fixtures. While names such as Alberto Costa, António Silva and Matheus Fernandes stood out, Ronaldo was the main topic of the press conference.

Rejecting claims that he played a part in the departure of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Jesus said:

"No, perhaps I rushed some things, but this is not because of me. Being called up more or less was something that was taking shape in his head. We talked about it between ourselves a few times. But I certainly do not feel any guilt about him leaving the national team. I respect his decision."

Ronaldo's final appearance in a Portugal shirt came in the 1-0 win over Wales in Lisbon. Then, in the Norway game, he was an unused substitute for the first time in 18 years. Asked about Ronaldo, who apologised to his teammates for leaving the camp but did not reach out to Jorge Jesus in the same way, the experienced head coach said:

"I thought he would come back and I definitely intended to include him in the squad. But he felt the right time had come to leave, and we have to respect that. We can never overlook what he means to Portugal, what he has given this country and what a symbol he is for young players."