The Portuguese Prime Minister called Ronaldo after the scandal
Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro personally intervened in the situation involving Cristiano Ronaldo. Following the scandal on the national team, he spoke with the player himself, head coach Jorge Jesus, and Portuguese Football Federation President Pedro Proença. The specifics of their conversation have not yet been disclosed.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro spoke by phone with Cristiano Ronaldo following the conflict within the national team. He also spoke with the team’s head coach, Jorge Jesus. Montenegro later called Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation. Thus, all key parties involved in the conflict have now been drawn into the situation surrounding Ronaldo.
The content of the prime minister’s conversations with the player, the coach, and the federation president has not yet been disclosed. At the same time, it is known that Montenegro is trying to help resolve the situation within the national team.
What Happened to Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo left the national team’s training camp on the eve of the Nations League match against Denmark. The reason for the player’s dissatisfaction was that in the previous game against Norway, he spent the entire match on the bench. Portugal won that match 2–1. According to a source, Ronaldo was dissatisfied with the coaching staff’s decision. It is also reported that Jorge Jesus allegedly failed to honor an agreement regarding the striker’s playing time.
As a result, the situation surrounding the national team captain quickly escalated into a public conflict. Now, the country’s leadership and the soccer federation are trying to resolve the issue. It is still unknown whether Ronaldo will return to the team or participate in the national team’s upcoming matches. There is also no official information regarding the details of the agreements between the player and the coaching staff.
Ronaldo — Portugal’s all-time leader
Cristiano Ronaldo has played for the Portuguese national team since August 2003. During this time, he has played in 234 matches and scored 146 goals. Ronaldo holds the national team’s records for most matches played and most goals scored. He also remains one of the greatest players in the history of the Portuguese national team.
With the national team, the forward won the European Championship in 2016. He has also won the Nations League twice—in 2019 and 2025. Therefore, any conflict involving Ronaldo immediately attracts significant attention, especially when it comes to his relationship with the national team’s coaching staff.
More News from the Nations League
Meanwhile, another incident in the Nations League drew attention off the soccer field. Kosovo national team forward Vedat Muriki, after scoring a goal, displayed a T-shirt in support of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi. It bore the logo of the Kosovo Liberation Army, of which Thaçi was a former field commander.
Hashim Thaçi is currently in custody in The Hague and is on trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Muriki used his goal celebration to publicly express his support for Thaçi. As a result, this round of Nations League matches drew attention not only for their sporting results but also for the events surrounding the players and their national teams. This was reported by Record.
Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo found himself at the center of a scandal during the national team’s October training camp. The 41-year-old Al-Nassr player got into a conflict with Portugal’s head coach, Jorge Jesus, after which he left the team’s training camp without permission.
