Cristiano Ronaldo did not like having been put to heat without entering, in Norway-Portugal, but it was at the moment that Jorge Jesus announced that Gonçalo Ramos would hold before Denmark, who decided to abandon the concentration of national selection.
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06/10/2026
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O newspaper The game brings to the public this Tuesday the chronological order of events that led Cristiano Ronaldo to abandon the concentration of the main national selection, has been receiving full attention from international sports press over the past few days.
It all began on 27 September, when George Jesus bet on the title of Gonçalo Ramos, on the triumph conquered over Norway, in the Ullevaal Stadion, by 1-2 (with a goal of his own). Cristiano Ronaldo stayed on the bench for alternates, but what wore him out the most was that he was warmed up for 37 minutes without ever getting in.
The 41-year-old player did not like the attitude of the national selector, and he transmitted it to him in a series of meetings that also involved Al Nassr's sports director, the Portuguese Simão Coutinho. Coach will have assumed that you were wrong to extend the exercises, but never to apologize.
Faced with the news of malaise between both parties, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FFP), Pedro Proença, went on his journey to Copenhagen, where he sought to mediate a new dialogue between them, without this feeling having changed, despite efforts to find an understanding.
It was then that last Wednesday the broth spilled for good. Cristiano Ronaldo paid particular attention to the press conference forecasting the third day of the League of Nations group phase against Denmark in Parken (which would culminate in a 2–4) victory when George Jesus said what he did not want to hear.
Questioned as to who would be the holder in Copenhagen, the 72-year-old coach was permanent: “Today I will train. If everything happens normally, Gonçalo Ramos will play.” It was then that, assures the publication, the Madeiran lost his temper, standing up and shooting: “I don’t do anything here, I’m leaving.”.
And so it was. Short hours later, the player graduated from Sporting followed a journey to the Spanish capital of Madrid, aboard his private plane, and then to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where, as early as Monday, he reinstated the trainings of ‘his’ Al Nassr, under the orders of the Australian helmman Ange Postecoglou.
Cristiano Ronaldo's return to national selection is unlikely
Last Sunday, after another victory over Norway, of this time, in the Dragon Stadium, by 2-1, which was worth the clearance for the final quarters of the League of Nations, George Jesus opened the doors to the return of Christian Ronaldo, ensuring that there is no “case” between them.
“There are principles as a coach that are non-negotiable, but as there was nothing special in terms of what my authority is, for me, Cris at the next call will be, if he is playing at Al Nassr, a convocable player, if he wants to return to the selection,” he said, before Pedro Proença did the same.
“Christian Ronaldo represents the greatest symbol of portugality, and we must bow to Cristiano Ronaldo. He is in the national team on his own sports merit, and will always be part of this working group, whenever he is technically capable”, he said, in statements to the media.
However, still according to the newspaper The Game, there is no provision for any kind of meeting between these three parts, even because Al Nassr's advance stressed from the first moment that this would be an irreversible decision, so at least for now, it keeps the door closed to Portugal.