The row between Cristiano Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus

The situation surrounding the Portuguese national team during this FIFA international break has attracted a great deal of media attention and sparked debate amongst football fans worldwide.

The reason, of course, is the alleged row between Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, a five-time winner of the Ballon d'Or and the all-time leading goalscorer in international football, and Jorge Jesus, 72, the national team’s newly appointed manager. Before taking charge of Portugal in July, Jesus had already worked with Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

As we have already reported, the conflict is said to have begun with Ronaldo’s frustration at being told to warm up and then being left on the bench for the match against Norway on 27 September. After Jesus apparently ignored the situation at the post-match press conference, the Portuguese striker decided to leave the training camp and return home, rejecting attempts by the Portuguese Football Federation and Jesus himself to persuade him to stay.

The reasons behind the row have not yet been fully revealed. Jesus has treated the alleged controversy with a certain degree of disdain, whilst CR7 has not given any revealing interviews. The striker, however, announced on Instagram that he will provide an explanation when he feels the time is right.

Meanwhile, fans and players have been voicing their dissatisfaction and protesting against what they consider to be a lack of respect towards a football legend.

Several of Portugal’s biggest stars were also bombarded with questions about the ‘incident’ during interviews at the UEFA Nations League, but they avoided revealing any information or opinions. For the most part, the players said they were focused on the matches and stated, diplomatically, that they respect Jesus’s leadership and recognise Ronaldo’s importance.

Bruno Fernandes breaks the silence

This Saturday (3 September 2026), however, Bruno Fernandes broke with convention.

“Cristiano is and always will be the greatest icon of our national team, of our football and also of world football.” – Bruno Fernandes

In an interview ahead of Portugal’s second match against Norway, the 32-year-old midfielder revealed that he had spoken to Ronaldo in person following the crisis and had expressed his full admiration for CR7. He also emphasised the importance of Portuguese fans remaining united during this turbulent time: “I had a chat with Cristiano and told him that, whatever happens, he will never cease to be the greatest symbol of our national team, our football and our country. Cris is and always will be the greatest icon of our national team, of our football and also of world football. We have nothing to do with this matter. We know what you’re saying and what we’re seeing. What I think, once again, is that the country must not be divided, that people must not take sides, and that we must go through all this as one. We must respect and accept all viewpoints. Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the respect of all Portuguese people, regardless of whether they like him more or less.” (Terra)

Although Ronaldo is considerably older than Fernandes and has had a longer and more successful career with the national team, Fernandes has been making his mark on the team’s history ever since he made his professional debut, almost a decade ago.

The pair have been sharing the international stage for almost nine years and, between them, have racked up 331 appearances, 175 goals and 74 assists for Portugal. During this period, they have also won two Nations League titles together, in 2019 and 2025.

Ronaldo and Fernandes have also been teammates at club level, playing together at Manchester United for over a year, between August 2021 and November 2022.

Since then, Fernandes has remained at United, where he is captain, and this year broke the record for assists in a single Premier League season. He was nominated for this year’s ‘Ballon d'Or’ award for the second time in his career. Ronaldo, meanwhile, moved to Al-Nassr, who won the Saudi Pro League title this year. He was not nominated for the 2026 ‘Ballon d'Or’, but has received 18 nominations throughout his career, with five victories crowning that record.

Jesus plays down the crisis

Jorge Jesus also spoke ahead of the second match against Norway, alongside Fernandes, and sought to dispel rumours of animosity by emphasising his respect for Ronaldo’s role in the national team: “Cristiano is a symbol of the Portuguese national team; he is a symbol of Portugal. Let that be very clear.” (Lance!)

Without their veteran talisman, Portugal beat Norway 2–1 in that match. The victory capped off a perfect start for Jesus at the helm of the national team: in his first four matches, there were four wins, nine goals scored and just five conceded. Portugal now comfortably lead Group A4 of the Nations League with 12 points.

“He can come back whenever he wants. It was a misunderstanding and, in my opinion, it’s easy to sort out.” – Jorge Jesus

After the victory, Jesus was interviewed by the Portuguese broadcaster RTP and spoke further about Ronaldo’s situation, stating that the decision on whether or not to return to the national team rests with the player himself: “If he’s playing and wants to be in the national team, he can come back whenever he wants. Why not? It was a misunderstanding and, in my opinion, it’s easy to sort out. As far as I’m concerned, everything’s fine. [...] As there was nothing out of the ordinary regarding my authority, as far as I’m concerned, for the next squad selection, if Cris is playing for Al-Nassr, he’ll be eligible for selection. If he wants to return, he’ll return.” (GE)

“Apologise for what? To whom?” – Jorge Jesus

Despite publicly stating that he wants to see the 41-year-old back in the Portuguese national team and playing down any suggestion of a rift, Jesus also refused to apologise for his actions and stood by his convictions as manager: “It’s only because it was him that this problem arose, because he’s an icon: the issue of warming up and not coming on. That happens to all players. How many warmed up today and didn’t come on? It’s always like that. Cris is different because he’s an icon, but for me, it wasn’t a problem. It’s up to Cris to decide. I’m not apologising to anyone. The problem was the fact that the player warmed up. Why should I apologise? To whom?” (GE)

What happens now?

The Portuguese Football Federation indicated on Friday that it wants to arrange a meeting between Ronaldo and Jesus to resolve the conflict, and the newspaper A Bola reported that the manager has already agreed to the meeting.

Ronaldo, however, has not yet spoken out publicly and has been keeping a low profile in Madrid since leaving the national team.

What will happen next in this drama-filled saga?

Many football fans will be following the next chapters closely, hoping for an explanation.