After Portugal lost to Spain in the round of 16, a wave of sadness hit the fans. More than Portugal’s loss, many thought this was Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup wearing the national jersey. But turns out that the Portuguese captain is still uncertain whether this was the end of his journey, and the new head coach has made it clear he has no problem with that.
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After the World Cup ended for the Portugal team, Ronaldo made a statement that faced a lot of criticism. “I will retire when I want to, not when you want me to,” he said. And standing right by him is the newly appointed manager of the Portugal team, Jorge Jesus.
“Cris will never be a problem for the national team, nor for me,” Jorge Jesus said during a press conference. “He is a symbol of Portuguese football. Ronaldo is a symbol of the national team. Cris is a symbol of Portugal. It’s very easy to work with him. He wants to continue at Al Nassr and will end his career at Al Nassr. I substituted Cris 16 times at Al Nassr.”
As far as the statement Ronaldo made, it got plenty of criticism. Not because people have doubt about his ability, he is counted among one of the football greats. But solely because of his age. Ronaldo played this World Cup at the age of 41. At 45 years old, Essam El-Hadary became the oldest man to ever play in the FIFA World Cup when he took the field against Saudi Arabia in 2018. So age is just a number for Ronaldo, and Jesus supports that.
Jesus was hired shortly after Portugal’s exit from the World Cup for a four-year contract extending through the 2030 World Cup. The new head coach has seen the caliber of Ronaldo in person. They both bagged the Saudi Pro League title at Al Nassr. For the head coach, it is easier to work with Ronaldo. As long as he is physically in shape to play, Jesus does not care about the criticism.
“It is their job to criticize, and it is my job to decide, Jesus said. Cristiano Ronaldo was never the problem. He gave everything he had for Portugal.”
Ronaldo might not have lifted the World Cup trophy, but his achievements are no less. He became the first player in the world to score in six World Cups. His goals in the 2026 tournament brought his total World Cup tally to 11 goals, making him the top scorer for Portugal. He became the oldest outfield player to start a match in World Cup history.
The decision now solely stands in Ronaldo’s hands. Even if he decides that this was his last World Cup, fans will still see him at Al Nassr FC. The man is still not over, no matter what people say.
