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Newly appointed Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has made his stance crystal clear regarding Cristiano Ronaldo's role in the upcoming fall international window.
The coach confirmed the 41-year-old is set to start against Wales barring anything unforeseen in the lead-up to Thursday's UEFA Nations League fixture. It would be the first outing for Ronaldo—and the rest of the squad—since Portugal's round of 16 exit to Spain at the 2026 World Cup, defying his sister's prediction during the tournament that he would retire.
Jesus's call is unlikely to put an end to the ongoing debate surrounding Ronaldo's place in the Portugal setup. A growing number of critics feel the national side would perform better without the Real Madrid icon in the starting lineup—a view that gained further traction after he managed just three goals at this summer's tournament, with two of those coming against Uzbekistan in the group stage.
However, Jesus, who guided Ronaldo and Al Nassr to Saudi Pro League success last season, is blocking out the criticism. "I notice that your concern is centered on whether Cristiano is ready to play," he said. "Cris is a symbol of Portugal, but that does not give him the right to play every match.
"But to give you an idea, we played a match in Hong Kong without him, and there were 5,000 spectators, and when he played there were 55,000 spectators. He will play [against Wales], and I hope he scores a goal or two and I will substitute him straightaway."
Portugal's Fall International Schedule
Opponent | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
Wales | Sept. 24 | Estádio José Alvalade—Portugal |
Norway | Sept. 27 | Ullevaal Stadion—Norway |
Denmark | Oct. 1 | Parken—Denmark |
Norway | Oct. 4 | Estádio do Dragão—Portugal |
Ronaldo Gets Candid About Portugal Future
Scrutiny and criticism are nothing new to Ronaldo, particularly regarding his international career. Despite claiming every major honor at club level across stints at Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al Nassr, the five-time Ballon d'Or recipient was never able to lift the World Cup trophy.
His long-time rival Lionel Messi finally achieved that feat with Argentina in 2022, having also led La Albiceleste to the 2014 and 2026 World Cup finals. Messi's triumph in Qatar largely settled the G.O.A.T. debate in the eyes of many.
Messi stepped away from international football after this summer's competition, yet Ronaldo continues to lead the line for Portugal despite persistent calls for him to retire.
"The most important point is to be able, inside the pitch, to score goals and help the team to win games," Ronaldo stated at his pre-match press conference.
"If the manager doesn't count on me, I can leave today—no problem at all. When I feel that I'm not doing anything here, that I'm not contributing on the pitch, not scoring goals, creating a bad atmosphere, or that they don't want me here, I'll be the first to pack my bags."
Ronaldo has amassed 146 goals and 233 caps for the Portugal national team, both of which stand as men's international football records. The legendary striker helped his nation claim the 2016 European Championship, along with UEFA Nations League titles in 2018–19 and 2024–25.
As he pursues the milestone of 1,000 career goals, Ronaldo would love nothing more than to cap his Portugal journey by lifting another Nations League trophy.