Six managers, a historic journey

It has emerged today that the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the Ballon d'Or, has left the Portuguese national team’s training camp in a decision that has quickly caused a stir.

Ronaldo started for Portugal against Wales, but was on the bench for the following match against Norway, having taken part in the warm-up. After the match, he left the national team’s training camp and returned home.

So far, there has been no confirmation that the match against Wales was Ronaldo’s last for Portugal. If the speculation proves true, however, it will be an unexpected end to one of the greatest careers in the history of international football.

Over the course of almost 25 years, Ronaldo has become synonymous with international football. He led Portugal to the country’s first major international title, the 2016 European Championship, also won the Nations League and became the all-time leading goalscorer in international football, with 146 goals for his country.

Few players have had such a lasting impact on their country. Since his debut in 2003, Ronaldo has spanned different generations, competed in major tournaments at virtually every stage of his career and become the leading figure of one of the most memorable eras in Portugal’s history.

Along the way, six managers have been at the helm of the national team. Each oversaw a different phase of CR7’s career, from his rise as a young talent to his transformation into captain, record-breaker and all-time leading goalscorer in international football. Among them, there were periods of great harmony, historic achievements and, at times, differences of opinion that also shaped the Portuguese star’s career.

Luiz Felipe Scolari (2003–2008)

After leading the Brazilian national team to their fifth World Cup title in 2002, Luiz Felipe Scolari, known as ‘Felipão’, took charge of Portugal in January 2003.

In August of that year, Cristiano Ronaldo, then aged 18, made his debut for the senior national team, just over a week after transferring from Sporting CP to Manchester United in the English Premier League.

Scolari managed Portugal in three major tournaments and witnessed the early stages of a career that would soon see Ronaldo become one of the world’s greatest players.

The first was Euro 2004, on home soil, which marked Ronaldo’s rise to prominence on the international stage. The youngster scored two goals and helped Portugal reach the final, which they lost to Greece. At the age of 19, he had already made his mark at a major tournament.

A first-team regular, Ronaldo also took part in the 2006 World Cup, in which Portugal finished fourth – their best result in the tournament since 1966.

At Euro 2008, CR7 once again played a key role in the campaign that took Portugal to the quarter-finals, where the team were knocked out by Germany.

Scolari stepped down shortly after the tournament, in June. For Ronaldo, this marked the end of his first major chapter with the national team, just as he was beginning to establish himself as one of world football’s leading stars.

Luiz Felipe Scolari’s tenure with Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal, by the numbers

  • Time in charge: 11 January 2003 to 19 June 2008

  • Matches: 74

  • Record: 42 wins, 18 draws, 14 defeats

  • Appearances in major tournaments: 3

  • Best tournament result: runners-up at Euro 2004

  • Goals scored by Ronaldo during this period: 21

Carlos Queiroz (2008–2010)

In July 2008, Carlos Queiroz replaced Scolari as Portugal’s manager.

He had previously managed the national team in the early 1990s and had spent four years as Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United, where Ronaldo was playing.

Queiroz’s experience in Portuguese football and his professional relationship with Ronaldo at Manchester United were key factors in his appointment as national team manager.

Under his management, Ronaldo was already a global star and Portugal’s main attacking threat. At the 2010 World Cup, he scored just one goal and saw the national team knocked out by Spain in the round of 16.

Following the elimination, when asked by journalists about the reason for the defeat, CR7 replied: “Speak to Carlos Queiroz.” (GE)

Queiroz stepped down from his post in September 2010, shortly after the World Cup. His time in charge of Portugal saw moments of disagreement, but it coincided with a crucial phase in Ronaldo’s establishment as the national team’s leading figure.

The pair met again at the 2018 World Cup, this time on opposite sides, with Queiroz as Iran’s manager. The reunion provided another example of a disagreement involving Ronaldo: following an incident between the Portuguese player and defender Morteza Pouraliganji, VAR recommended a review, but the referee upheld the yellow card.

Queiroz later questioned the decision, arguing that Ronaldo should have been shown a red card: “The truth is, we need to put an end to this VAR business. It was an elbow. And an elbow means a red card according to the rules. The rules don’t say it’s any different if it’s Messi or Ronaldo.” (GE)

Carlos Queiroz’s time with Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal, in figures

  • Time in charge: 11 July 2008 to 9 September 2010

  • Matches: 28

  • Record: 15 wins, 9 draws, 4 defeats

  • Appearances in major tournaments: 1

  • Best tournament result: round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup

  • Goals scored by Ronaldo during this period: 2

Paulo Bento (2010–2014)

Paulo Bento’s arrival marked yet another reunion for Ronaldo with someone who was already part of his footballing history.

Bento had previously coached CR7 in the youth teams at Sporting CP and had even recommended him for the senior national team during Scolari’s tenure.

The two already knew each other well, and Bento took charge of Portugal in September 2010, following Queiroz’s departure.

Ronaldo enjoyed a period of great success under his management.

At Euro 2012, he scored three goals and helped Portugal reach the semi-finals. In the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup, he once again stood out, including with a hat-trick in the away victory over Sweden in the play-offs.

The 2014 World Cup, however, ended with Portugal being knocked out in the group stage.

“It was a great pleasure to coach the national team and Ronaldo from time to time.” – Paulo Bento

During this period, Bento and Ronaldo had a difference of opinion over the best way to deploy the striker. The manager wanted CR7 to play more as a centre-forward, whilst Ronaldo was more accustomed to playing on the wing.

Bento stepped down from his post in September of that year.

When asked whether Ronaldo had influenced his departure, Bento replied: “If you’re asking me whether there was any situation directly involving me, I’d say no. If he confronted the board, that’s a situation I don’t want to believe in. The roles would be reversed and, within a hierarchy, it would turn everything upside down. It wouldn’t be good for me, for the player or for the board. It makes no sense that a player, whoever he may be and however talented he may be, could influence the decision of a club’s or a federation’s board. It’s in defeats that I usually get to know people best. When we win, we get carried away by the wave of euphoria and satisfaction. I expected neither more nor less from Ronaldo. I took great pleasure in coaching the national team and Ronaldo from time to time.” (CNN Brasil)

Bento’s tenure was therefore marked both by Ronaldo’s growing prominence and by certain differences of opinion between the striker and the manager.

Paulo Bento’s time with Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal, in figures

  • Time in office: 21 September 2010 to 11 September 2014

  • Matches: 47

  • Record: 26 wins, 12 draws, 9 defeats

  • Appearances in major tournaments: 2

  • Best tournament result: semi-final of Euro 2012

  • Goals scored by Ronaldo during this period: 27

Fernando Santos (2014–2022)

That same month, Fernando Santos took charge of Portugal.

He would go on to become the longest-serving manager of the Portuguese national team and, above all, the man who led the country to the first major international title in its history: the 2016 European Championship.

It was the first of six major tournaments contested by Portugal under his leadership.

Following a third-place finish at the 2017 Confederations Cup and elimination in the round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup, Santos led Portugal to victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019.

At the 2020 European Championship, they were once again knocked out in the round of 16.

During much of this period, Ronaldo experienced some of the most significant chapters of his international career. In addition to the titles, he scored 68 goals under Santos and continued to break individual records.

It was also during this period that Ronaldo helped Portugal win the trophy that had eluded the country for decades. At Euro 2016, he scored three goals and provided three assists, although an injury forced him to leave the final in the first half. Even off the pitch, he followed the victory over France closely and lifted his first major trophy with the national team.

The pair, who had known each other since CR7’s time at Sporting, also used to exchange public compliments.

The professional relationship between Ronaldo and Santos reached its most talked-about moment at the 2022 World Cup.

After years as an undisputed first-choice player, Ronaldo was substituted in all three group-stage matches and started on the bench in the knockout stages.

Portugal were eventually knocked out by Morocco, and Santos’s decision caused a huge stir. Ronaldo made his displeasure clear, whilst the manager later explained that it had been a tactical decision.

Georgina Rodríguez, then Ronaldo’s fiancée and now his wife, also commented publicly on the incident on social media: ‘Today, your friend and manager made the wrong decision. That friend for whom you have so many words of admiration and respect. The same man who, when he put you on the pitch, saw how everything had changed, but it was too late. You cannot underestimate the world’s best player, your most powerful weapon. And you certainly shouldn’t stick up for those who don’t deserve it. Life teaches lessons. Today we didn’t lose; we learnt. We admire you, Cristiano.’ (CNN Brasil)

“He’s still like a son to me. The day the phone rings, he knows I’ll always be here.” – Fernando Santos

Santos stepped down from his post shortly after the World Cup.

Later, he spoke about his relationship with Ronaldo and the decision taken in Qatar: “We haven’t spoken since I came back from Qatar. I had a very strong relationship with Cristiano. We met at Sporting when he was 19, and that relationship grew stronger from the moment we met again in the national team. We’ve always got on very well. On the morning of the match, when I went to explain that he wouldn’t be playing and why, he took it the wrong way. As far as I’m concerned, our relationship remains the same, and he’s still like a son to me. The day the phone rings, he knows I’ll always be here. I made a strategic decision in Qatar.” (ESPN)

His spell came to an end after the 2022 World Cup, but it was under Santos that Ronaldo enjoyed the most successful period of his international career.

Fernando Santos’s time with Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal, in figures

  • Time in charge: 23 September 2014 to 15 December 2022

  • Matches: 109

  • Record: 67 wins, 23 draws, 19 defeats

  • Appearances in major tournaments: 6

  • Best tournament result: 2016 European Championship winners / 2019 Nations League winners

  • Goals scored by Ronaldo during this period: 68

Roberto Martínez (2023–2026)

The Spaniard Roberto Martínez took charge of the Portuguese national team in January 2023.

By this point, Ronaldo was already the all-time leading goalscorer in international football, but he continued to play a central role in the team and to extend his own records.

Martínez led Portugal at Euro 2024, where the team reached the quarter-finals, and to the country’s second Nations League title in 2025.

Ronaldo scored 29 goals under the Spaniard’s leadership and remained one of the national team’s key players.

“We’re talking about a football icon. There aren’t many Cristiano Ronaldos.” – Roberto Martínez

Martínez stepped down from his post after Portugal were knocked out by Spain in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.

Before leaving, however, he once again praised Ronaldo, with whom he had built a relationship marked by admiration and respect: “Cristiano has been an exemplary captain. [...] He is a role model. I think he’s an example we must celebrate. We’re talking about a football icon. There aren’t many Cristiano Ronaldos. And I want to thank him forever for what he tried to do in this World Cup. Because the dream was to win the World Cup, and he gave it his all. He was an incredible role model as captain, both on the pitch and off it. In the changing room and amongst the players, it was something which, in my opinion, all the players and the entire coaching staff will carry with us forever. An example of a footballer, an athlete and the human being behind the athlete.” (CNN Portugal)

Ronaldo also praised Martínez’s work following the manager’s departure from the national team: “I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate manager Martínez on the excellent work he did. Being of a different nationality, it isn’t easy, especially given the constant criticism he faced.” (ESPN)

Roberto Martínez’s time with Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal, in figures

  • Time in charge: 9 January 2023 to 6 July 2026

  • Matches: 45

  • Record: 30 wins, 9 draws, 6 defeats

  • Appearances in major tournaments: 3

  • Best tournament result: 2025 Nations League champions

  • Goals scored by Ronaldo during this period: 29

Jorge Jesus (2026–present)

Jorge Jesus took charge of the Portuguese national team following Martínez’s departure in July 2026.

He was coming off the back of an excellent season as Ronaldo’s manager at Al-Nassr, and the pair arrived at the national team having already established a professional relationship through club football.

“Cristiano is a symbol of Portuguese football, a symbol of the national team, a symbol of Portugal.” – Jorge Jesus

Upon taking charge, Jesus made clear the importance of CR7 to his plans: “Cristiano is a symbol of Portuguese football, a symbol of the national team, a symbol of Portugal. I had the pleasure of working with him, and it was very easy. Provided he understands how far he can go – and I do too – within the coach-player relationship. As long as he’s playing and fit to be called up, I’ll call him up.” (Metrópoles)

Ronaldo, for his part, expressed confidence in Jorge Jesus’s work and stated that he believed the manager would do an excellent job at the helm of Portugal: “It’s a new era with manager Jorge Jesus. I’m sure he’ll do an excellent job. Jorge Jesus was the perfect choice. [...] We’re all confident. I think the team is ready. It’s going to be a long-term challenge; the manager will stay for many years. I’m sure it was the best option.” (ESPN)

The striker also stated that he would leave the national team if Jesus or the Portuguese Football Federation no longer wanted to count on him: “If he doesn’t count on me, I can leave today. That’s no problem at all. The president too, if they don’t want me. When I feel I’m not contributing, that I’m not making a difference on the pitch, that I’m not scoring goals, that I’m creating a bad atmosphere or that they don’t want me here, I’ll be the first to pack my bags and leave. [...] The day they no longer want me, it’s no problem at all. I’ll help the national team however they need me and I’ll always be this federation’s number one supporter.” (Terra)

At the age of 41, Ronaldo was called up for Portugal’s Nations League matches in September 2026 and started against Wales last week.

A few days later, however, he was left out of the match against Norway and left the national team’s training camp.

“At the club, the president is in charge; in the team, it’s me. It’s the same with the players.” – Jorge Jesus

On his social media, Ronaldo explained his decision: ‘Following the national team manager’s press conference, and after a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I took the decision to leave the national team’s training camp. In due course, I will tell all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons behind my departure from the national team, to which I have always been fully committed.’ (Instagram)

Jesus, for his part, explained his decision and reaffirmed his authority as manager: ‘It seems as though there is a problem between him and me. There is no problem whatsoever. I’ve had problems with many players before, but please don’t turn this into a problem that doesn’t exist. It was a decision made by a manager who had a plan. Status is one thing; the rules are the same for everyone. Status does not entitle players to be treated differently. Status represents respect for their careers. But I am the one who decides. At the club, the chairman is in charge; in the team, it’s me. It’s the same with the players.” (CNN Brasil)

The exact reasons for Ronaldo’s departure are still unclear.

The incident with Jesus added yet another chapter to Ronaldo’s relationship with managers in Portugal, this time at the age of 41 and after the striker had, months earlier, expressed his confidence in the new manager.

Jorge Jesus’s time with Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal, in figures (up to 1 October 2026)

  • Time in charge: Since 10 July 2026

  • Matches: 2

  • Record: 2 wins, 0 draws, 0 defeats

  • Appearances in major tournaments: 0

  • Best result in a tournament: N/A

  • Goals scored by Ronaldo during this period: 0

A story that spans generations

Since making his debut at the age of 18, CR7 has spanned more than two decades of international football, competed in major tournaments across different eras, won the two most prestigious titles in the national team’s history and set the world record for goals scored in international matches.

His story has also been shaped by six different managers. With some, he enjoyed periods of great harmony; with others, there were differences of opinion, decisions that caused a stir and episodes that have become part of Ronaldo’s own history with Portugal.

Above all, Ronaldo was the national team’s constant presence for over two decades. From a young talent at Euro 2004 to captain and European champion, from a promising Sporting player to the all-time leading goalscorer in international football, he helped transform the Portuguese national team and left a mark that goes far beyond the statistics.

At the age of 41, it remains to be seen whether there will be yet another chapter. Whatever the outcome, Cristiano Ronaldo’s story with Portugal is already among the greatest of all time in international football.