Cristiano Ronaldo could retire from international football after Jorge Jesus’ latest comments

Cristiano Ronaldo could retire from international football after Jorge Jesus’ latest comments Cristiano Ronaldo could call time on his Portugal career after a falling-out with new head coach Jorge Jesus, according to Marca . The Al-Nassr forward has reportedly left Portugal’s training camp and is set to return to Madrid on his private plane, despite the team still having another Nations League fixture to play. Ronaldo’s early departure comes after Jesus made it clear that he will determine whether 41-year-old would not feature during the current international break. The Portugal boss insisted there was no disagreement between the pair, claiming he had already explained his decision to Ronaldo during a meeting on Tuesday. Jesus said he was simply making a selection decision and stressed that nobody, including Ronaldo, could influence his choices. “I told the player he wasn’t going to play,” Jesus said. “If I need you for 30 minutes, you’ll play; if not, you won’t. No player will make me change my mind.” The comments have added fuel to speculation that Ronaldo’s extraordinary international career could be coming to an end despite him continuing to chase 1000 career goals. He has 146 goals in 234 appearances for the Selecao, and was keen on adding to that tally during this international break. He started the first game versus Wales but had an evening to forget. The controversy began during Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway, when Ronaldo was surprisingly named among the substitutes. Jesus instead selected Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos from the start, with both forwards finding the net. Ronaldo remained on the bench throughout the match despite warming up during the second half. He subsequently went straight to the dressing room after the final whistle and did not go to greet the travelling fans. There were also rumours he refused to train. Jesus initially attempted to play down the situation, describing Ronaldo’s absence from training as normal. However, the situation escalated, and Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca travelled to Copenhagen for a meeting involving Ronaldo and Jesus. The meeting suggests that the issue was more serious than initially thought, even though Jesus and Ronaldo worked together harmoniously at Al-Nassr. Ronaldo’s decision to leave camp before the end of the international break now raises fresh questions over his future with Portugal. While there has been no official confirmation that he intends to retire from international football, this situation has created uncertainty around the captain’s next step.