Portugal’s Football Federation had already begun preparing for a future without Cristiano Ronaldo before his recent dispute with manager Jorge Jesus, according to Spanish newspaper AS.
The federation had reportedly expected Ronaldo to end his international career after the World Cup. That assumption led officials to consider how Portugal would replace their long-standing captain and reshape the team without him.
But Ronaldo, now 41, decided not to retire, leaving the federation to confront a situation it had believed would be resolved after the tournament.
AS also reported that some of the candidates approached to succeed former manager Roberto Martinez had made Ronaldo’s continued presence a condition of accepting the job. The Portuguese federation, however, was receptive to the idea of moving into a new era without its record-setting captain.
The arrival of Jorge Jesus brought those unresolved questions into direct focus. He was not dealing with an ordinary player, but with a historic captain aged 41 whose influence and standing within the national team remain exceptional.
At the same time, the report suggests that Ronaldo’s role increasingly had to be assessed according to the team’s needs, rather than determined solely by his achievements and status over an illustrious international career.
The tension became public when Ronaldo was left on the bench for Portugal’s match against Norway. He subsequently left the national team’s camp in Copenhagen following a disagreement with Jesus.
After his departure, Ronaldo said he had made the decision after the manager’s news conference and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca.
The forward did not disclose the precise reasons for leaving, but said he would explain them “at the right time”.
The episode has therefore been presented as the latest stage of a longer debate over Portugal’s direction, rather than a crisis that began only with the disagreement between Ronaldo and Jesus.
According to AS, officials had already been considering the transition beyond Ronaldo before Jesus took charge. His decision to continue playing for Portugal instead prolonged a question the federation had expected to settle after the World Cup.
