Cristiano Ronaldo has been criticised by Saudi football supporters after leaving Portugal’s training camp following his omission against Norway, with one fan accusing the Al-Nassr forward of acting arrogantly.
The dispute with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus has attracted widespread discussion on X, particularly because Ronaldo and Jesus previously had a strong working relationship at Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo reportedly became frustrated after Jesus decided not to bring him on against Norway, despite the player warming up for a lengthy period. The disagreement intensified after Jesus said the veteran forward would not change his philosophy or tactical plan.
Ronaldo subsequently left the Portugal camp and travelled to Madrid.
Some Saudi supporters said Ronaldo’s experience and status as captain should have led him to accept the manager’s decision. Others expressed surprise that his close relationship with Jesus had broken down so quickly.
One fan wrote: “To be honest, I love Cristiano, but you have to realise that you have grown older, and you should have respected the manager’s decision. Even if he spoke to you, he might have brought you on later, but perhaps he decided not to play you because of the circumstances of the match.
“You should have behaved like a leader, rather than causing problems and leaving on your own. Honestly, this behaviour suggests that Ronaldo is arrogant.”
Another supporter rejected arguments that Ronaldo should automatically be selected because of his age and reputation, comparing him with Lionel Messi.
“These are your weak arguments that you are trying to convince yourselves with,” the fan wrote. “Messi, at the age of 39, carried his national team alone to a World Cup final. Can you imagine being 39 and producing the second-best individual performance in World Cup history after Messi in 2022?
“Ronaldo has 12 Euros and a World Cup. Name one of them in which he produced a strong performance. It was all disappointment and failure.”
The disagreement has also prompted fans to revisit the relationship between Ronaldo and Jesus during their time at Al-Nassr.
One supporter said Ronaldo was among the leading figures who backed Jesus’ appointment and argued for the manager to remain at the club. The same fan added that Ronaldo had also supported the idea of Jesus becoming Portugal manager.
“I cannot understand what is happening between Jorge Jesus and Cristiano,” the supporter wrote. “At Al-Nassr, Cristiano was the one who fought for Jesus to come and coach the team, and defended his continuation. With the Portugal national team, he also supported the idea of appointing Jesus as manager.”
Another fan described their relationship at Al-Nassr as exceptionally strong, saying the pair had supported each other through difficult periods.
“How can their relationship end in a dispute after Jesus’ first two matches with Portugal?” the supporter wrote. “It is an unexpected shock.”
The reaction on X has continued, with Saudi fans focusing on how quickly the relationship between Ronaldo and Jesus changed after their previous professional partnership at Al-Nassr.
