Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest departure from the Portugal camp has raised fresh questions over his international future and revived a long record of disagreements with managers, officials and team-mates.
The 41-year-old left the squad after tensions over his role and not being involved in Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League defeat by Norway. Manager Jorge Jesus said there was no crisis but admitted mistakes had been made in the way Ronaldo’s situation was handled.
Ronaldo said he would reveal the reasons for his decision “at the right time”, after speaking to the president of the Portuguese Football Federation and hearing Jesus’ news conference. He also sent a message to his team-mates wishing them success “without exception” – a comment which prompted further questions about the nature of the dispute.
Ronaldo has scored 146 goals for Portugal, a men’s international record, and helped the country win Euro 2016. At club level, he has won the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or five times.
It remains too early to say whether the latest episode marks the end of his international career. However, Ronaldo’s influence – both positive and negative – has been debated during Portugal’s last three major tournaments, in 2022, 2024 and 2026.
A history of disputes
According to a report by ESPN, Ronaldo’s clashes with managers and officials stretch back more than 25 years.
In 2008, his desire to leave Manchester United for Real Madrid intensified after FIFA president Sepp Blatter compared preventing a player from moving to his preferred club with “modern-day slavery”.
“I agree with what the Fifa president said,” Ronaldo told Portuguese television. “I know what I want and what I would like, and we will have to see what happens. I do not know where I will start next season.”
Manchester United refused to sell him after five successful years at Old Trafford, meaning Ronaldo had to wait until the summer of 2009 to join Real Madrid.
In December 2008, Ronaldo unexpectedly left the pitch during Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Sunderland and went straight down the tunnel, leaving his side temporarily with 10 players. Sir Alex Ferguson defended him, saying he had taken a blow to his hip and needed immediate treatment. Ronaldo had won his first Ballon d’Or only days earlier.
Five months later, he showed his frustration again after being substituted in the Manchester derby. Ronaldo had scored from a free-kick in the 18th minute of the 2-0 victory, but Ferguson replaced him with Paul Scholes after 60 minutes. He spent several minutes on the bench shaking his head. It was his final goal for Manchester United before returning to the club 12 years later.
In September 2012, Ronaldo scored twice in a 3-0 win over Granada but did not celebrate either goal.
“I am sad because of a professional matter, and the club knows about it,” he said. “That is why I do not celebrate my goals, because I am not happy. The people here know why.”
He offered no further explanation and later denied that money was the cause. He signed a new contract a year later.
Real Madrid and Manchester United
Ronaldo’s relationship with Jose Mourinho began positively at Real Madrid but deteriorated towards the end of the 2012-13 season, Mourinho’s final campaign at the club. A dressing-room argument after a Copa del Rey match against Valencia in January was reported as a sign of the worsening relationship.
After Mourinho left for Chelsea, he said on the programme Punto Pelota: “Cristiano Ronaldo thinks he knows everything.”
Ronaldo also appeared unhappy with Rafael Benitez’s approach after the Spaniard replaced Carlo Ancelotti in June 2015. Benitez lasted only six months, leaving in January. Ronaldo repeatedly praised Ancelotti as a great person and an excellent manager, described him affectionately as a “big bear” and said he wanted to work with him again. Benitez said his relationship with Ronaldo was still developing, but he left a month later.
In 2021, after nine years at Real Madrid and three seasons with Juventus, Ronaldo appeared ready for another move. He was left out of Juventus’ starting XI for the 2-2 draw at Udinese, amid reports that he had asked not to start. Juventus initially insisted he would remain, while Ronaldo had previously called reports linking him with Real Madrid “disrespectful”.
Days later, he returned to Manchester United on transfer deadline day, having also been linked with Manchester City.
In January 2022, interim Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick substituted Ronaldo during a 2-0 lead against Brentford to introduce Harry Maguire and switch to a back three. Ronaldo threw his coat to the ground as he left the field.
Rangnick called the reaction “normal” and said he told Ronaldo he might make the same decision one day if he became a manager. Manchester United won 3-1, supporting Rangnick’s tactical decision.
A month later, Rangnick dismissed reports of a dispute between Ronaldo and Maguire over the captaincy as “absolute nonsense”. He said he had not discussed changing the captain with any player and confirmed Maguire would remain captain until the end of the season.
Later that year, Ronaldo’s second spell at Manchester United ended after he refused to come on against Tottenham in October and left before full time. He had also left during a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano.
In an interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo criticised several people at Manchester United, said he did not respect Erik ten Hag, claimed he had felt betrayed by senior officials and said he had not known Rangnick before his appointment. He also said the club had made no progress since his first spell. The two sides subsequently agreed to end his contract by mutual consent.
Portugal controversy
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Fernando Santos left Ronaldo out of Portugal’s starting line-up for the last-16 match against Switzerland. His replacement, Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win.
Santos said the decision was tactical rather than punishment for Ronaldo’s reaction to being substituted in the final group match, although he admitted he had not liked that reaction.
The Portuguese Football Federation denied reports that Ronaldo had threatened to leave the squad before the quarter-final against Morocco. His omission nevertheless angered members of his family. Georgina Rodriguez expressed regret that the world’s best player had not played the full 90 minutes, while his sister Elma Aveiro called the decision an insult to a man who had given so much to Portugal.
The latest dispute came in September 2026. Ronaldo has continued to score and win trophies with Al-Nassr and received strong backing from former manager Roberto Martinez during two major tournaments despite growing criticism over his role.
Jesus had previously worked with Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, but their relationship is now facing a difficult test. The central question is whether the latest disagreement ends an international career spanning more than two decades, or whether Ronaldo returns to Portugal and closes another difficult chapter.
