Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he personally backed Jorge Jesus for the Portugal national team job before their recent dispute, saying he initially believed the former Al Nassr coach was the “right choice.”
In a lengthy statement published on Tuesday, Ronaldo explained that he had already prepared a farewell letter to the Portuguese people after the 2026 World Cup, intending to leave the national team. However, he said Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença persuaded him to reconsider.
According to Ronaldo, Proença subsequently sought his opinion on the next Portugal manager and told him Jesus was among the candidates under consideration.
Ronaldo said he endorsed the appointment.
“I told the President of the Federation that, in my opinion, he would be the right choice.”
He added that he was therefore genuinely pleased when Jesus was eventually appointed and initially believed the decision had been the correct one, particularly given Portugal’s results under the new manager.
Ronaldo then revealed that Jesus contacted him shortly afterwards and requested a face-to-face meeting, which the Portugal captain agreed to.
The two eventually met at Cidade do Futebol, where Ronaldo said Jesus assured him that he was central to his plans and presented him with a proposed role and match-management strategy.
That relationship would later deteriorate dramatically, culminating in Ronaldo leaving Portugal’s latest international camp after being an unused substitute against Norway.
Ronaldo’s account therefore adds a significant dimension to the dispute: he says he was not opposed to Jesus becoming Portugal coach—in fact, he claims he helped endorse the appointment before their relationship broke down.
He has since maintained that his departure from the camp was caused by what he regarded as broken agreements and a breach of trust, rather than opposition to Jesus’ appointment itself.
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