Cristiano Ronaldo has reaffirmed his commitment to Portugal and said he remains available for international selection despite the dispute that led to his departure from the national team camp.
The 41-year-old Al Nassr forward said he would continue representing Portugal as long as he remained fit and active for his club, while also apologising to his teammates and the Portuguese public for leaving the squad.
“If I am physically well, playing for my club, with goals I hope, after serving the suspension that may be applied to me, I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team,” Ronaldo said in a statement shared with Reuters.
He added that he would accept any disciplinary action imposed by the Portuguese Football Federation over his decision to leave the camp.
Ronaldo departed after being left on the bench throughout Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway on September 27. He subsequently explained that his exit followed a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus over an arrangement concerning his playing time.
According to Ronaldo, he and Jesus had agreed that he would sit out the Norway and Denmark matches as part of a plan to manage his fitness.
The forward said that agreement changed on the day of the Norway fixture, when Jesus told him he would play for around 30 minutes.
“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from halftime onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn’t called on,” Ronaldo said. “The manager had broken his word to me.”
Ronaldo claimed it was the second time Jesus had failed to honour an understanding between them, and said the coach’s public comments did not reflect their private discussions.
“It was the second time he had broken his word to me. I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for any further broken promises,” he said.
Jesus has disputed Ronaldo’s account, denying after the Norway match that such an agreement had been reached. The Portugal coach has nevertheless left the door open for the veteran forward to return.
Ronaldo also rejected suggestions that he had attempted to influence tactical decisions during his international career.
“Never, at any moment, have I interfered in any technical or tactical decision of any coach or national team manager in almost 25 years of career,” he said.
Despite the dispute, Ronaldo insisted he remains focused on competing for Portugal rather than immediately bringing his international career to an end.
He acknowledged that he expected to have one or more farewell matches eventually, but said there was no immediate timeline for his departure.
“I can promise all my fans, naturally and especially all Portuguese people, that we will have one or more farewell matches; there will be time for that. But when I think of the national team, what I really think of is competing,” he said.
Portugal’s record goalscorer and most-capped player has scored 146 goals in 234 international appearances.
Ronaldo also pointed to his long-standing commitment to the national team, recalling that he remained with the squad after his father died during an international camp.
His latest statement appears to settle one immediate question: despite his disagreement with Jesus, Ronaldo still intends to make himself available for Portugal, subject to his fitness and any disciplinary sanction.
