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If Cristiano Ronaldo is holding out for an apology from coach Jorge Jesus before returning to the Portugal national team, he may be waiting indefinitely — and that apology may never come.
Ronaldo will turn 42 in early 2027 and already holds men's international soccer's all-time records for caps (234) and goals (146). Despite choosing to remain available for Portugal after the 2026 World Cup, he walked out of the very first training camp since that decision.
The five-time Ballon d'Or recipient departed the squad's temporary base in Malmö, Sweden last week ahead of a Nations League clash with neighboring Denmark. He had started the opening fixture against Wales in Lisbon, but was left on the bench during the subsequent victory over Norway.
Ronaldo skipped training with the group the day before the Denmark match. Although Portuguese media initially reported that tensions with Jesus had been resolved, the situation escalated rapidly when the No. 7 departed the camp entirely. His shirt number was reassigned under international match regulations, and Portugal has continued its winning run without him, defeating both Denmark and Norway in successive matches. By Monday, Ronaldo was back in Saudi Arabia, training with Al Nassr.
Jesus appeared visibly surprised when a journalist asked him, following the second Norway match held in Porto on Sunday, whether he intended to apologize to Ronaldo.
"What did you say? Apologize?" a puzzled Jesus responded.
"Who am I apologizing to? What exactly have I done that requires an apology?"
'Ronaldo Is a Man of Principles'
Ronaldo's high-profile allies have publicly come to his defense, with Piers Morgan — who conducted a bombshell interview with the soccer legend in 2022 that contributed to the premature end of his second stint at Manchester United — alleging that Jesus broke specific promises made to the player.
On Football Uncensored, the sports spin-off of Piers Morgan Uncensored, the outspoken broadcaster spoke of "absolute guarantees" Ronaldo had received from Jesus regarding his role during this Nations League window. "It was one of the reasons he decided to continue his international career," Morgan said. "The new manager, Jorge Jesus, who knows him from Saudi Arabia, agreed he would play the first two games and be rested for the following two.
"In the first game he was told, 'You get 90 minutes' and he gets pulled off after 67 minutes. So he's a bit p---ed off and afterwards the coach apologized to him and said he would go out and explain this shouldn't have happened. He goes out and does the complete opposite — he pulls a Ten Hag, going out and trying to belittle and embarrass Ronaldo, putting him back in his box by saying, 'All the players are equally important to me,' which also p---es off Ronaldo."
Morgan was alluding to the fractious relationship Ronaldo had with his former United boss, Erik ten Hag — a manager the player openly criticized during that same 2022 interview.
Morgan went on to suggest that Ronaldo had been willing to accept a substitute appearance against Norway, coming on for 30 minutes in the second half, even though this differed from the original alleged agreement over playing time.
"He sits there and warms up for 25 minutes and never gets on the pitch. So, again, he is p---ed off at the lack of respect. For him, it's a matter of respect — being promised one thing and then the opposite happening, warming up and never being used.
"Eventually he went, 'F--- you,' got on a plane and left."
Morgan accused Jesus of wanting to be "the big dog and humiliate" Ronaldo, warning that the situation could ultimately deny the all-time great a proper farewell match with Portugal.
Rio Ferdinand, who shared a dressing room with Ronaldo for six years in Manchester, described Portugal's handling of the situation as "poor," though he still believes a "rekindling" between the two parties is probable.
If this is the end, it wasn't meant to end this way. pic.twitter.com/IoHayRTesH
"There's no way you should be allowing your greatest asset, your finest ambassador, the most iconic figure your country has ever produced or will ever produce, to be placed in a position where he has to walk away," Ferdinand said in a video on his self-titled YouTube channel.
"None of us know what's happened behind closed doors. But I know one thing: Cristiano is a man of principles and he stands by what he believes. If he feels he's been wronged in a situation, or something hasn't unfolded the way it may have been agreed, he's not going to accept that. I respect that. A lot of people would just accept it and shrink away. He knows his own value and worth."
Ferdinand also called on Jesus to issue an apology. "The coach needs to step up and apologize. He has to come out and say, 'I misjudged this situation.' They're trying to contain the fallout, they're panicking behind the scenes," he said.
Ronaldo's Portugal Career Doesn't Have to be Over
Jesus has no intention of apologizing, but he hasn't ruled out Ronaldo's return either.
"As far as I'm concerned, everything remains open," the 72-year-old former Al Nassr manager stated.
All Ronaldo needs to do is keep performing at club level and accept the call-up in November, when Portugal is set to wrap up the Nations League group stage with home and away fixtures against Denmark and Wales respectively.
"It's up to Cris to decide his own future. In the next call-up, if Cris is playing and wants to be part of the national team, why not?" Jesus said. "Resentment? None at all — it was a misunderstanding. In my view, it's straightforward to resolve. It's not solely down to me. To reach an agreement between two people, both need to sit down and talk. That part isn't up to me alone.
"We spoke before this squad was named and we can speak before the next one. It's Cris who will make the decision."
Portugal has navigated a similar rift with Ronaldo before. He clashed with former manager Fernando Santos over his reaction to being substituted during the 2022 World Cup, and subsequently began each knockout round on the bench. On that occasion, Portugal avoided a prolonged fallout when Santos was dismissed following a disappointing tournament exit.
Four years later, it would be far more difficult to prioritize an even older Ronaldo — one contributing increasingly less — over the manager Portugal has entrusted to guide the team through Euro 2028 and toward a home World Cup in 2030.