Portugal manager Jorge Jesus has denied there is any rift with Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the veteran forward's two-day absence from training was routine and not a sign of a dispute.
The comments came amid reports in Portuguese media of a "crisis meeting" involving Ronaldo, Jesus and Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença.
Ronaldo was reportedly unhappy after he was an unused sub in a 2-1 win over Norway on Sunday, Sept. 27. After the game, the forward went down the tunnel immediately rather than acknowledging the fans with his teammates.
The 41-year-old did not train either of the following two days, leading to speculation over his relationship with manager Jesus. Ahead of another UEFA Nations League match on Thursday, Oct. 1 against
Denmark, Jesus told a press conference that Ronaldo not training for two days was standard procedure — not evidence of a rift.
"He never trains on the first or second day after a game," Jesus said on Wednesday, Sept. 30. "He never refused anything."
"If you look, he's training today," Jesus added. "Do you think any player at the level of a national team would refuse to train? Only if he wanted to leave. Nobody refuses to train."
Jesus added: "Don't try to make a fuss where there isn't one. It was a coach's decision, I had a plan."
According to Portuguese outlets Record and A Bola, Ronaldo, Jesus and Proença met on Wednesday in Copenhagen ahead of the match against Denmark.
Ronaldo was named in Jesus' first squad as Portugal manager, with the 72-year-old taking over from Roberto Martinez after the 2026 World Cup. Jesus previously coached Ronaldo at Al Nassr from 2023 to 2025.
Jesus started Ronaldo in his first game in charge, a 1-0 win over Wales on Thursday, Sept. 24. After taking seven shots without scoring, Ronaldo was subbed off in the 65th minute for Gonçalo Ramos.
Ronaldo is the most-capped men's player of all time (234) and the leading men's international scorer with 146 goals.
The Al Nassr forward has indicated that he is likely to retire from the game in the near future.
In an interview published last month, the Portuguese superstar told Vogue "This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Portugal coach Jorge Jesus denies rift with Cristiano Ronaldo
