Cristiano Ronaldo Retirement: Jorge Jesus, the newly appointed head coach of Portugal, reiterated his belief in football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, stating that the seasoned striker will be chosen for the national team as long as he is fit and active, with his participation always determined by what is best for the team. Despite his advanced age, the 71-year-old manager, who signed a four-year deal to lead Portugal through the 2030 World Cup, thinks Cristiano Ronaldo still has a big part to play on the international scene.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s fitness to decide international future under Jorge Jesus
With Ronaldo being arguably one of the fittest athletes across various sports, his fitness remains at a high level. The newly appointed manager, Jesus, worked with Ronaldo recently at Al Nassr and would know where Cristiano Ronaldo is with respect to his fitness. “As long as he’s playing and is in a condition to be selected, I will pick him, within certain limits and under the conditions that I consider best for the national team,” Jorge Jesus said.
Jorge Jesus shares experience of working with Cristiano Ronaldo
Jesus praised Ronaldo’s professionalism, saying the forward will never be a problem for Portugal or for him as a coach. He added that he enjoyed working with Ronaldo over the past year and found him easy to manage. “I haven’t spoken with (Ronaldo) yet. (He) is never going to be a problem for the national team. Not for the national team, nor for me. I had great pleasure working with him this past year; it’s easy to work with him,” Jesus said. The appointment of Jesus marks a significant shift for Portugal following their disappointing exit from the 2026 World Cup.
Portugal at FIFA World Cup 2026
Portugal entered the FIFA World Cup 2026 as one of the favourites to win the title. Managed by Roberto Martinez, Portugal failed to live up to the expectations as the team managed to reach only the Round of 16 stage before being knocked out by Spain. The campaign started off on a poor note against DR Congo in the opening game, ending in a draw. Following the drawn match, there were multiple reports of a lack of bonding within the team.
Meanwhile, the Cristiano Ronaldo-starrer managed to go past World Cup debutants, Uzbekistan, before a goalless draw against Colombia saw them finish second in their group. In the Round of 32 clash against Croatia, Portugal won by the barest of margins in a game which saw Ronaldo score his first goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup. The 41-year-old scored a penalty in a 2-1 win for his side. In the next clash against Spain, the game seemed to be going towards extra time before Mikel Merino scored the winner in injury time for the European Champions.
