A rescue mission begins! The federation moves to save Ronaldo's Portugal farewell
Behind the scenes in Lisbon, the damage control operation is in full swing. Portugal's football federation has decided it cannot afford to let the Cristiano Ronaldo saga end in flames, and is already working on a reconciliation.
Details: According to Marca, the Portuguese Football Federation is actively working to make peace with Ronaldo and intends, with the player's agreement, to bring all parties together next week, including head coach Jorge Jesus. The federation hopes the relationship can return to being cordial and healthy, and above all that Cristiano's Portugal career will not end because of recent events. The directors want to give the 41 year old captain a respectful and dignified conclusion to a 13 year story with the Seleção das Quinas.
The peace offensive follows one of the wildest weeks in Portuguese football history. Ronaldo flew home from Copenhagen on Wednesday after Jesus confirmed he would be benched for a second straight game, hours after Marca revealed the star's version: an agreed two of four matches this break, broken by the coach's change of heart. Jesus responded on matchday by telling SportTV he is completely relaxed with a clear conscience, and his team then beat Denmark 4:2 without their captain, with Rafael Leão wearing the number 7 due to UEFA squad numbering rules. The federation has reportedly instructed players not to speak about the affair, something Renato Veiga accidentally confirmed after the win in Copenhagen. Sports Illustrated adds that the tone in Lisbon has visibly shifted: what began as a cold statement about upcoming commitments is now an active effort to stop Ronaldo from making a rash decision, especially since the captain himself admitted that defending Portugal's Nations League title was one of the main reasons he postponed retirement this summer. Both Ronaldo and Jesus have promised to reveal their versions of the truth in due course; the federation would clearly prefer that moment never to come.
It's worth noting that Ronaldo captained Portugal to their first three major trophies, the 2016 Euros, the 2019 Nations League and the 2025 Nations League, and remains the all time leader in men's international football with 146 goals in 234 caps. A farewell engineered around next year's World Cup, rather than a Copenhagen hotel corridor, is precisely the ending the federation is now fighting for.
Reminder: Betrayed behind closed doors! New details emerge in Ronaldo scandal
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
