Portugal chief says Cristiano Ronaldo can return after row with Jorge Jesus

Proença leaves the door open for Ronaldo

Portugal Football Federation president Pedro Proença says Cristiano Ronaldo can return to the national team despite the striker’s public dispute with coach Jorge Jesus and his provisional suspension by the federation.

Speaking at an event in Ronaldo’s hometown of Funchal, Proença called for calm and talks to resolve the matter. “Ronaldo is certainly able to return,” he said, adding that the captain had stated in a letter that returning was his intention. “Now is the time for calm, for us all to sit down at the table and find good solutions.”

The dispute followed Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League win over Norway, when Ronaldo was left on the bench throughout and then abruptly departed the team camp. He later accused Jesus of a “breach of trust”, saying the coach had agreed to bring him on for the final 30 minutes. Ronaldo also said he had not retired from international football.

Federation wants the squad united

Proença said the federation’s priority remained the team’s shared aim of winning the Nations League, and described Ronaldo as a “fundamental” part of that effort. “We are all together,” he said, while emphasizing that the captain, coach and federation had each already made their positions known.

Ronaldo and Jesus had previously worked together at Al-Nassr. The report says Ronaldo scored 29 goals in 33 appearances under Jesus in the 2025-26 season, at an average of one goal every 99 minutes. In his only Portugal appearance under Jesus, a 1-0 win over Wales on September 24, Ronaldo had seven shots and an expected-goals total of 1.03 but did not score.

The article also notes Portugal’s results since the start of 2025: the side won five of six games without Ronaldo, drawing once, while it won 10 of 17 with him, drawing four and losing three. Those figures frame the debate around the captain’s role, but Proença’s public message was focused on reconciliation rather than selection: the federation wants the parties to talk and find a way forward.