Cristiano Ronaldo's incredible statement in full as Portugal captain confirms retirement decision

Cristiano Ronaldo has released a lengthy connection explaining the events that led to him withdrawing from the Portugal squad implicit the planetary break.

The 41-year-old has besides insisted that helium volition not beryllium retiring from planetary work and volition beryllium disposable to correspond Portugal successful their UEFA Nations League matches successful November.

“This is the information connected what has happened with Jorge Jesus. As I promised, I decided to recount, successful the archetypal idiosyncratic and directly, the circumstances surrounding the past grooming campy of the National Team.

"After the 2026 World Cup I prepared a missive to the Portuguese people, which I inactive keep, with the words I privation to code to them erstwhile I permission our squad for good.

"At the extremity of the competition, already connected the formation backmost from the United States, the President of the Federation asked and insisted that I reconsider the determination to leave, due to the fact that the FPF wanted maine to continue.

"Right afterwards helium asked maine for my sentiment connected the sanction of the existent caput coach, which helium was considering alongside different names helium did not uncover to me.

"I told the President of the Federation that, successful my opinion, it would beryllium the close choice. That is why, connected the time the existent caput manager was presented, I was genuinely blessed with the choice. It was the close option, arsenic the results are confirming.

"A fewer days aboriginal I received a archetypal interaction from the caller nationalist squad manager saying helium would similar to conscionable maine successful person. I said yes and we scheduled it for the extremity of my holidays.

"We met astatine the Cidade bash Futebol, wherever my nine was holding its pre-season grooming camp. That time the manager told maine helium was counting connected maine and that my beingness was cardinal to his project. He presented me, close there, with a program for my participation.

"He told maine I would play the archetypal lucifer and the past one, and that for reasons of carnal absorption helium would ever marque 3 to 4 changes per match.

"At that constituent helium raised the anticipation of maine not travelling with the nationalist squad to Norway and Denmark. He projected that I play the archetypal lucifer and enactment successful Portugal, past rejoin earlier the lucifer astatine the Dragao. I refused this connection immediately.

"It seemed evident to maine that I could not judge it. It was not due to the fact that I would not play the matches overseas that I would halt captaining our team. That privilege of staying successful Portugal would not beryllium a bully example. The manager ended up agreeing with my analysis.

"This speech was attended by Simao Coutinho, sporting manager of Al Nassr, the idiosyncratic to whom the existent manager reported passim past play and 1 of those liable for his signing by the nine successful 2025.

"On the eve of the commencement of the campy the manager came to my location successful Lisbon, astatine his request, for different speech with me. The speech was calm and each the principles agreed successful August were maintained. I played the lucifer astatine Alvalade and, though substituted, I made nary occupation of it.

"I enactment the armband connected Bruno Fernandes myself, acold from imagining that I mightiness beryllium taking my past steps arsenic a subordinate and skipper of the National Team. What mattered to maine that time was our victory. Winning is ever good; successful Portugal and for my country, adjacent better.

"At lunchtime connected the time of the lucifer successful Norway, an adjunct to the manager came to the array wherever the radical was having luncheon and informed maine that the manager wanted to talk to me. To my implicit surprise, the manager asked maine if I was acceptable to play 30 minutes.

"I was afloat focused connected my carnal recovery, integrated with my teammates arsenic always, and reasoning that I would not play that day. Without immoderate problem. This petition was thing extracurricular my carnal betterment and grooming program — due to the fact that I was lone going to play connected the 4th astatine the Dragao — but of people I said yes.

"He replied that I should past beryllium acceptable due to the fact that I would play 30 minutes. The remainder everyone knows. I warmed up from half-time, watched the minutes spell by, and was not called. The manager had breached his connection to me.

"The manager had breached his connection to me. At the extremity of the lucifer I lone wanted everything to decorativeness with the triumph and to beryllium alone. I did not spell to greet the fans.

"A failing that is solely my work and that should not person happened. I apologise to the Portuguese who supported america intensely there, I apologise to the fans, and I apologise to those who, without being Portuguese, whitethorn person travelled determination to spot maine and whom I whitethorn person disappointed. Forty-eight hours aboriginal we had a speech — myself, the manager and Simão Coutinho — since helium had been the 1 accompanying our conversations successful August.

"It was a heavy moment, precise frank, without immoderate benignant of filter. We agreed that determination was lone 1 mode to adjacent this “case”: that the manager repetition what helium had conscionable told maine successful private, successful the beingness of Simão Coutinho, but successful the property room. What was agreed was simple: the manager would statesman the property league with this subject, seeking to adjacent the substance by telling the truth.

"He would accidental that I ne'er asked to play immoderate minutes, that it was the manager and nary 1 other who projected the program for this campy to me, and that it was a mistake to enactment maine connected to lukewarm up and past not bring maine on, and that if it happened again helium would not bash it.

"We ended that gathering with the manager asking maine for a hug, promising maine that helium would accidental astatine the league what helium had conscionable said to me, and that the substance would beryllium overcome. I would not play successful Denmark and I would play the lucifer astatine the Dragao. All of this successful the beingness of Simao Coutinho, always. At the coach’s request, a gathering past took spot betwixt himself, Simao Coutinho and Tiago Craveiro by videoconference, successful which what we had discussed was summarised.

"A abbreviated papers was produced which I myself validated and which, with my knowledge, was delivered to the coach, arsenic helium had requested. The league was what is known: the posture had thing to bash with our meeting; I heard expressions and an aggressiveness that I bash not judge I deserved, an cognition of “I want, I tin and I command” that helium ne'er showed me, not adjacent remotely, successful backstage the time before.

"The notes I validated were the following: “I deliberation it is important, besides due to the fact that it is the truth, to clarify a fewer things earlier talking astir Denmark: 1. I myself, and nary 1 else, projected to Cristiano a program for him this sporting play with the National Team. It was a agelong and precise bully conversation.

"2. I cognize however overmuch helium lives and loves the nationalist squad and the value helium has successful the world, and adjacent much the value and the affirmative power helium has had connected the nationalist squad for 24 consecutive years. 3. The program I projected to Cristiano was accepted. 4. He ne'er questioned my options. He was exemplary, loyal and professional.

"5. The lucifer successful Norway was not portion of the program I drew up for him. However, I felt that helium had managed to retrieve physically from the archetypal lucifer and I warned him that I mightiness person to usage him. Cristiano agreed.

"6. I made a mistake by putting idiosyncratic of the stature of Pele oregon Maradona connected to lukewarm up and past not putting him successful the game. If it were contiguous I would not bash it.

7. To adjacent the subject: I privation Cristiano successful the National Team. In information I bash not privation him a little, I privation him a lot. Fortunately helium besides believes successful me. He believed astatine Al Nassr and helium does present arsenic well.

"8. About not greeting the fans. We person already spoken astir that. Someone who has played much than 230 matches for the nationalist squad does not person lessons from maine connected emotion for Portugal. It was a infinitesimal of vexation that erases nothing.

"He is the subordinate who gives the astir autographs, takes the astir selfies, and shows the astir affection to the fans. Let america not invent problems wherever they bash not exist. When we are not blessed we react. That was all. None of these notes, therefore, said that the manager should adjacent apologise to me. It was the 2nd clip helium had breached his connection to me.

“I decided to permission the campy without waiting for immoderate further breach of word. For maine the information is inactive the astir important happening successful the narration betwixt people. However overmuch it hurts, fto them archer maine the truth.

"In fact, successful a speech I had with the President of the FPF and with the manager connected the greeting of the time of that property league — they tin surely corroborate this — I reaffirmed that if they did not privation maine determination they should archer me.

"It was capable for them to beryllium frank with me. I would judge that and I promised that we would hole thing beautiful, arsenic I imagination volition happen, and nary 1 would beryllium near angry. I retrieve it arsenic if it were today. They replied successful unison that no.

"That my spot was successful the National Team. Never, astatine immoderate moment, person I interfered successful immoderate method oregon tactical determination of immoderate manager oregon nationalist squad manager successful astir 25 years of career. I accept, for amended oregon worse, what they suggest that I do. I respect the decision, and erstwhile they interruption their connection to me, I consciousness that my spot is not there. I besides beryllium an apology to my nationalist squad teammates for having near the camp.

"Despite the implicit breach of spot successful the coach’s word, arsenic those who witnessed these conversations tin attest, I should not person done it. The work is exclusively mine. I apologise to the Portuguese radical erstwhile again, but the breaking of one’s connection has, for me, a defining impact. I felt that, from that constituent on, my remaining would lone harm the moving group, and I did what I person ever said I would bash if I did not consciousness useful: I packed my bags and left. The effect of this enactment of excavation indispensable beryllium assessed and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation.

"I recognize that the punishment should person nary mitigating factors. I americium not conscionable immoderate player; I americium squad captain, and that constitutes an aggravating factor. I person already apologised, but I cognize that attitudes indispensable person consequences. Anyone who is successful shot arsenic I americium knows that, careless of each person’s status, the rules are the aforesaid for everyone. On this subject, I person heard a large woody of speech astir farewell matches, that I indispensable person a dignified farewell and that the Federation wants to springiness maine that opportunity.

"I learned successful life, often bare and with thing to eat, that nary 1 gives thing to anyone. I tin committedness each my fans, people and particularly each Portuguese people, that we volition person 1 oregon much farewell matches; determination volition beryllium clip for that. But erstwhile I deliberation of the nationalist team, what I truly deliberation of is competing.

"That is what I thought connected the time I was fixed the quality of my father’s death. I was astatine a campy with our nationalist squad and I decided to enactment determination until the extremity of the lucifer the pursuing day. I did for the state what I would ne'er bash for immoderate club.

"Therefore, if I americium physically well, playing for my club, with goals I hope, aft serving the suspension that whitethorn beryllium applied to me, I volition beryllium available, arsenic I person ever been until today, to vie and triumph for our nationalist team. This is, judge me, the purest of truths. Cristiano Ronaldo”.

More to follow.