“It’s not retirement”: Mourinho breaks his silence on Cristiano Ronaldo’s farewell to Portugal By Thiago Lemos
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Real Madrid coach José Mourinho said on Friday, November 6, 2026, that Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit from the Portugal national team does not mean the end of his playing career. Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Madrid, the Portuguese coach said he respected the decision that Ronaldo announced the day before. He also hoped the final day of the forward’s career as a player would be different from the way his international farewell happened.
Mourinho coached Ronaldo at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, a period in which the forward scored 168 goals in 164 matches. Asked about the striker, the coach said he had no wish to pass judgment. “It’s not a retirement. Anyone who knows him knows he still has goals for his career,” he said.
Mourinho also made clear that he disagreed with how the Portuguese Football Federation and the coaching staff handled the internal friction over the past two months. He said that, although he would rather not comment on it, he fully respected the choice. The coach’s position stood apart from the public debate that had built up around the squad.
The crisis began at the end of September, during a UEFA Nations League match against Norway. Ronaldo spent about thirty minutes warming up on the touchline and was not sent on in the 2 to 1 win. His replacement, Gonçalo Ramos, scored the winning goal.
The dispute deepened in the following days, when Ronaldo missed two training sessions ahead of the match against Denmark. Asked by journalists, Jorge Jesus, the Portugal coach, took a hard line and said no player would decide the coaching staff’s choices.
Keep reading: Cristiano Ronaldo walks out on Portugal squad after Jorge Jesus dispute
The Portugal coach was firm in his position at the time. “I can promise whatever I want. I am the coach. I told the player he was not going to play. I will take him to the bench. If I need you for thirty minutes, you will play. If not, you will not play. No player will ever change my ideas, not him and not anyone in football, not any president. Never, zero,” Jorge Jesus said.
The clash led Ronaldo to leave the squad during a FIFA international window, without a set date to return. He asked for a public apology from the coach before he would reconsider his place, but Jesus refused, saying there had been no prior commitment of that kind. The Portuguese Football Federation then applied a 30-day suspension to the forward.
Key dates of the rift between Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus
The episodes that led to Ronaldo’s break with the national team followed one another over several months. Each step raised the pressure on the coach and the striker. The list below shows the main dates.
- End of September 2026: Ronaldo warms up for 30 minutes and is not used in the 2 to 1 win over Norway.
- Days after the Norway match: Ronaldo misses two official training sessions before the game against Denmark.
- Days before the next squad list: Jorge Jesus says no player will decide the coaching staff’s choices.
- Walkout: Ronaldo leaves the camp during the international break and receives a 30-day suspension.
- Thursday, November 5, 2026: Ronaldo announces his exit from the Portugal national team in a video message.
Ronaldo’s video did not mention a final match for Portugal, and the statement said his time on the pitch with the national team had come to an end. He will keep playing for Al Nassr, where his contract runs until June 2027. At the same time, the Portuguese federation begins planning without the 234-cap record holder, and Real Madrid returns to its training at Valdebebas with the Spanish league title race in mind.
