Portugal have won four matches in a row under his guidance and looked a better unit on the field compared to their underperformance in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The moment Cristiano Ronaldo left the Portuguese football camp midway through the international break, the football community was shell-shocked. Jorge Jesus suddenly came under scrutiny for his treatment of the legendary forward. Many criticised Jesus, but some supported his bold decisions.
The dispute started last week when Jesus kept 41-year-old Ronaldo on the bench during Portugal’s win over Norway. In Ronaldo’s absence, Portugal became the first team to secure a place in the quarter-finals, with two group games still to play. After finding out he would not start against Denmark, Ronaldo left the team on Wednesday.
“The coach has to apologise, otherwise he will be sacked,” he said on his own “Rio Ferdinand Presents” podcast. Ferdinand said Jesus should have a direct conversation with Ronaldo and clearly explain his plans for the Portugal captain’s role going forward. “They have to sit down with Cristiano Ronaldo and tell him: this is what I want to do, and if you don’t want to be part of it, tell me, but this is how things are going to go,” he said. The Englishman further backed Ronaldo’s continued involvement with Portugal, but said Jesus needs to decide how best to use him while balancing the team’s needs with managing the veteran forward. “These coaches get paid to manage a team, but they also get paid to manage individuals,” he said.
“He needs to come out publicly and say: I admit I misjudged this situation.
