Ronaldo reportedly sets condition for Portugal return

By Ihuoma Inyama

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly set a condition for his return to the Portugal national team, with his future under coach Jorge Jesus now in doubt.

According to journalist Rui Santos of CNN Portugal, Ronaldo has told people close to him that he will not return to the national team while Jesus remains in charge.

The report, cited by French outlet Foot Mercato, comes after Jesus said Ronaldo’s return remained possible following Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway.

“Everything is open. Cristiano must decide his own fate, it does not depend on me. It was a misunderstanding, and in my view it is easy to resolve. I am not sad, it is his decision,” Jesus said.

However, Santos reportedly claims Ronaldo was disappointed by the coach’s comments and believes they contradicted Jesus’ previous position on his return.

Jesus had previously expressed his desire for Ronaldo to return for the Nations League while also stating that the forward did not need to apologise and that selection decisions remained his responsibility.

Ronaldo’s reported stance now puts his international future under Jesus in question, with the situation yet to be resolved.