Ronaldo's return to the national team is in his own hands, according to Jesus
Amman3 min read
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Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has placed the return of veteran star Cristiano Ronaldo to the European "Seleção" in the hands of the Al-Nassr Saudi top scorer, as he stated following the qualification for the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory over Norway.
Jesus said after Portugal's fourth consecutive victory in Group A4 of the top tier of the continental competition and maintaining a perfect record in the tournament of which they are the holders, that Ronaldo can return to the squad "if he wants to."
The dispute began when Jesus kept the 41-year-old all-time top scorer on the bench in Portugal's 2-1 win over Norway last Sunday in Oslo.
Ronaldo decided on Wednesday to leave the national team camp after learning he would not start in the match against Denmark, which also ended in a 4-2 victory for his country.
Jesus told reporters that "for me, if Chris, in the next call-up, is playing for Al-Nassr, he is a player who can be called up. If he wants to, he will return to the national team."
He added that he is ready to speak with Ronaldo if the latter wishes to do so before Portugal's last two matches in the group stage of the continental competition in November.
He continued, "If he wants to, just like we did before this call-up, we spoke before the call-up, and we can speak before the next call-up. But Chris is the one who will decide."
Ronaldo, the former forward of Spanish club Real Madrid, English club Manchester United, and Italian club Juventus, tops the list of all-time top scorers (146) and most appearances (234) for the Portuguese national team.
Jesus revealed that he told Ronaldo of his need for him within the group during his first matches at the helm of the coaching staff, succeeding Spaniard Roberto Martínez, whose tenure with the "Seleção" ended after this summer's World Cup.
He added, "Cristiano must end his career with the national team the way he wants, he is the one who will decide how he wants that. That is how the two of us spoke. I told him: I need you. In my first squad, I told him: I need you close to me, whether you play or don't play, I need you. And now I say the same thing."
Ronaldo, who played his first match with the Portuguese national team in 2003 at the age of eighteen, had previously stated that this would "probably" be his last year in football.
Ronaldo has been a cornerstone of the national team for over two decades, and has participated in six editions of the World Cup.
In Ronaldo's absence, Portugal became the first team to secure qualification for the quarter-finals, with two matches remaining in the group stage.
As for the Argentine Lionel Messi, Ronaldo's historical rival for the title of best player in the world, he will play his final match with Argentina in a friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires today.
