Ronaldo ends his career with the Portugal national team after a conflict with Jorge Jesus

The finale after a conflict

Cristiano Ronaldo announced his departure from the Portugal national team, and the final weeks of his 23-year international career turned out to be connected not with a farewell match, but with a conflict with head coach Jorge Jesus, a demonstrative departure from the team camp and a disciplinary punishment. It was this storyline that the British press highlighted after the announcement, as reported by Life.ru citing publications by Sky Sports and The Guardian.

How the conflict unfolded

The trigger was the September match against Norway: Ronaldo remained an unused substitute, although, according to Sky Sports, he expected to be brought on, after which he left the national team camp. Back at the end of September, Sky Sports chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol said that the story of the captain's unexpected departure left an 'unpleasant aftertaste'. Jesus publicly stressed that only he decides the lineup: 'Neither Cristiano nor anyone else will ever change my ideas as a coach.' Ronaldo responded with a statement in which he effectively accused the coach of breaking agreements and of a 'loss of trust', but at the time specifically noted that he did not intend to end his international career.

A divided public and the punishment

The Guardian wrote that the conflict split Portuguese football fans: supporters defended the captain and considered his treatment disrespectful, while a significant part of the press and fans criticized the player for putting personal grievances above the interests of the team. Then the disciplinary bodies stepped in: Ronaldo received a 30-day suspension and a fine for leaving without permission. By the November matches the punishment was no longer in effect, Jesus included him in the preliminary squad, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation Pedro Proenca tried to reconcile the parties — but a day before the announcement of the final squad, Ronaldo himself announced his departure.

Career totals and farewell plans

Ronaldo debuted for Portugal in 2003 and over 23 years played 234 matches, scoring a record 146 goals for men's national teams; with the team he won Euro 2016 and the Nations League twice — these figures are confirmed by the Portuguese Football Federation. The captain's last official match was not a farewell ceremony, but a game after which the training camp ended with a quarrel with the coach and an early departure. At the same time, the federation stated that it does not want to let the long-serving captain go 'without due tribute' and intends to hold a grand celebration for Ronaldo — according to Life.ru, 'the doors are always open'.