Romário defends Ronaldo after Portugal exit: “That says something about his [Jorge Jesus’] character”

Brazilian football legend Romário has publicly defended Cristiano Ronaldo following the forward’s decision to leave the Portuguese national team during their Nations League campaign, Yahoo Sports reports.

As we have previously reported, Ronaldo departed the squad’s training base in Copenhagen prior to their match against Denmark, following a dispute with head coach Jorge Jesus after being left on the bench against Norway.

The departure followed growing tension over player selection and team management.

While Jesus played down the incident in a press conference—stating that no player is happy being an unused substitute—Ronaldo released a statement on social media confirming his departure after discussions with the Portuguese Football Federation, promising to clarify his reasons in due time.

Allegations of Broken Promises

Speaking to Portuguese media, Romário argued that the relationship between Ronaldo and Jesus had become irreparably strained due to unfulfilled commitments from the coach.

“Cristiano seems to me to be a very objective person. I like Jorge Jesus; I had a relationship with him when he was coach of Flamengo. I met him five or six times and he was always a great guy… but according to Cristiano, he didn’t keep his promises. That says something about his character,” Romário said, according to Yahoo Sports.

Disagreements Over Press Conferences

Romário questioned whether Ronaldo was treated fairly at this stage of his career, pointing specifically to reported disagreements over pre-match preparations and press conferences where Jesus allegedly failed to honor prior commitments.

“If that’s what Ronaldo says, then he’s right. Oh, but he abandoned the national team. Of course he’s been made a fool of once already. Why would he want to experience that again?” Romário said, according to Yahoo Sports.

“Some things that they had agreed he would say at the press conference, he didn’t say at all. According to Ronaldo, he was arrogant. He unmasked Ronaldo. He felt like a person whose reputation had been tarnished, who was completely irrelevant, and that’s why he left. If that’s the case, I would do the same,” Romário added, as quoted by PSV Inside.

While Romário backed the decision to leave, he noted that his own direct reaction toward the coach would have been even more forceful, lightheartedly remarking that he would have told Jesus to “go to the moon!” before walking away.

This article is made and published by Christine Drews Sieger, who may have used AI in the preparation