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It is "more likely" than not that Cristiano Ronaldo has already played his final game for the Portugal national team, according to the icon's sister.
The striking claim comes after Ronaldo stormed out of the national camp earlier this month following an apparent falling-out with manager Jorge Jesus. The 41-year-old, widely regarded as Portugal's greatest ever player and the world record holder in men's international soccer for both appearances and goals, is believed to have felt disrespected, accusing Jesus of an "absolute breach of trust."
Ronaldo subsequently apologized to the Portuguese public and his teammates, stating he would accept any punishment handed down by the country's soccer federation for his behavior.
Facing the consequences appeared to put the matter to rest for the Al Nassr star. He was provisionally suspended in line with the federation's regulations on walkouts, and could face a ban from representing his nation for anywhere between one and six months.
A comeback for the UEFA Nations League knockout stages from March onward had seemed realistic—Ronaldo has stated his final two ambitions in professional soccer are winning another Nations League title and reaching 1,000 career goals.
However, fresh uncertainty has been cast over that prospect by comments from his eldest sister, Elma Aveiro.
"It's more likely a 'no' than a 'yes,'" she said, via A Bola, regarding Ronaldo's potential return to the Portugal squad. "I think both [Cristiano and Jesus] are hurting. They went through it, not me. I'm speaking on behalf of my brother. I think it's a situation that's at a standstill. We'll see what unfolds.
"It's very complicated. When we feel betrayed, it's very hard to go back to how things were."
Should Ronaldo not return, it remains unclear whether the future would include a dedicated farewell match, similar to the one his great rival Lionel Messi recently had with Argentina. Either way, it would mark a sorrowful and abrupt conclusion to one of the most remarkable international careers in history.
"My feeling is one of sadness because the Portuguese people unfortunately forget what has already been achieved and believe things should be handled differently now," Aveiro said, clearly feeling the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been treated unfairly. "I'm speechless. It's very hard to watch my brother go through this. He is one of the last people who deserved this."
Should Ronaldo Have Retired From Portugal Already?
Ronaldo's other sister, Kátia Aveiro, had confidently claimed that the 2026 World Cup would be his 'last dance' with Portugal, so it was somewhat surprising to see his involvement with the national team continue as usual at the first opportunity after the tournament. Clearly, the words of his close family members don't always prove accurate on this particular topic.
Yet Messi departed on his own terms, choosing the 2026 World Cup final as his last meaningful appearance in an Argentina shirt. There is a case to be made that Ronaldo should have hung up his Portugal jersey and stepped away some time ago, before things reached this point.
Ronaldo is an all-time great and a physical phenomenon. But competing at an objectively lower level in Saudi Arabia has undeniably helped extend his club career—which he intends to bring to a close in 2027.
His numbers began to dip from their extraordinary heights once he departed Real Madrid at 33, but surged again after he left Europe. It is surely no coincidence that Ronaldo's 2023–24 campaign with Al Nassr, during which he turned 39, was the first in nine years in which he averaged at least 1.0 goals per league game—a feat he had achieved five times at Real Madrid.
At the international level, his influence has been waning for some time. Ronaldo was largely ineffective at the 2022 World Cup at age 37, and was eventually dropped during the competition.
He has continued to find the net against considerably weaker opposition, typically in qualifying matches, but failed to score at all at Euro 2024. Ronaldo proved more of a liability than an asset in a frustrating 2026 World Cup opener against DR Congo in June, and two goals against debutant Uzbekistan finally ended a humiliating scoreless run in major tournaments that had stretched to 10 matches.
Holding on the way he has done is beneath the dignity Ronaldo deserves.