Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the ‘Ballon d’Or’, is training with the Portugal national team ahead of their next brace of UEFA Nations League matches.

At the age of 41, the legendary striker is now working under Jorge Jesus, who previously coached him at Al-Nassr. The experienced manager took over from Roberto Martínez following Portugal’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup.

Jesus has never made a secret of his admiration and respect for Ronaldo and confirmed that, although he may not play the full 90 minutes, the striker is very likely to start against Wales. Yesterday, he explained the reason for this conviction: “Unless something out of the ordinary happens today, Ronaldo will start tomorrow. I realise that your concern, as journalists, is knowing how long Cris will play for or whether he is physically fit enough to do so. Cris is a symbol of Portugal and the national team. With that in mind, he is indeed fit to play.” (Band)

Ronaldo himself also praised Jesus: “I’m sure he’s the right manager to get the best out of me. It was a perfect choice, given everything he stands for.” (CNN Brasil)

Portugal are the reigning champions of the tournament. CR7 helped the national team win the title in the 2024–25 season, as well as in the competition’s inaugural edition in 2018–19. Furthermore, he was a key figure in Portugal’s first major international title in their history, the 2016 European Championship, just over a decade ago.

Lifting the Nations League trophy for the third time is one of Ronaldo’s main objectives in this final stretch of his career, alongside, of course, the long-awaited personal milestone of 1,000 career goals.

The striker is not far off: he currently has 979 goals to his name, 146 of which were scored whilst representing the Portuguese national team.

“I really want to reach 1,000 goals.” – Cristiano Ronaldo

Speaking about this goal, he explained that he always keeps it in his mind and heart, but does not let it become an obsession: “I want to reach it and I will reach it, but it’s not an obsession. When something becomes an obsession, things don’t turn out the way we want them to. It’s about enjoying the present, and everything will work out for the best. But, yes, I really want to reach 1,000 goals.” (TSF)

Ronaldo is already the all-time leading goalscorer for national teams in football history and continues to break records on all fronts.

“The Portuguese are counting on me, and I’m counting on them.” – Cristiano Ronaldo

But his willpower and steely determination also make him realistic and pragmatic. Despite the confidence he shows in his ability to keep playing at the highest level, CR7 recognises that, if one day he can no longer contribute to the team’s collective effort, he will accept being left out with equanimity: “If the manager doesn’t count on me, I could leave today. That’s no problem at all. The chairman too, when they no longer want to count on me. When I feel I’m not doing anything, that I’m not contributing on the pitch, that I’m not scoring goals or that they don’t want me here, I’ll be the first to pack my bags and leave. I’m here because I make a difference at my club. Whatever the manager needs from me – whether it’s to play, come on, come off or even sit out a match – I’m available for anything. The Portuguese count on me, and I count on them. You just have to look at the figures. If you can do the maths, you’ll see that I’m still going strong and the difference I make. The day they no longer count on me, that’s absolutely fine. I’ll always be the number one fan.” (CNN Brasil)

Cristiano Ronaldo currently has 15 goals in the Nations League.

Could that tally increase in Portugal’s upcoming matches?

Will he manage to extend his lead as the all-time top scorer in international football?

And how close will he get to the long-awaited milestone of 1,000 career goals?

We’ll find out very soon.