Cristiano Ronaldo can’t face the embarrassment of being dropped, so he’s quitting instead
To the very end, Cristiano Ronaldo wants ownership of the narrative.
Ahead of Jorge Jesus’ Portugal squad announcement for the upcoming November international break, Ronaldo has officially retired from the international side of the game.
Ronaldo’s retirement statement was polished and studio-produced, framing his departure from international football as a considered, dignified decision of a man bowing out on his own terms. But nobody in football should be fooled by the PR surrounding his Portugal farewell. Ronaldo is not walking away because of his obligation to ‘hand back the No. 7 shirt’; he is jumping before he’s pushed.
With Portugal’s squad announcement for the November international window imminent, whispers had grown impossible to ignore, especially after the histrionics which made headlines during the most recent international break.
For everything we know about Ronaldo and the opinion he holds of himself, the prospect of reading a squad list without his name on it would have been unbearable.
No matter how it’s dressed up, his exit from the international scene is an undignified end for a footballer of his stature, burning the house down rather than accept that time had finally caught up with him.
The genesis of the split came during the conjoined September and October international camps, where Ronaldo’s conduct reflected entitled petulance. He could have chosen to be an experienced mentor to one of Europe’s most gifted squads, but instead behaved emotionally, putting self before side.
When substituted early during Portugal’s Nations League fixture against Wales, the 41-year-old trudged off, held his tongue but not for very long.
From the outset, Jesus had made it clear that Portugal’s tactical system would no longer be warped to accommodate Ronaldo. The new coach wants aggressive front-foot pressing, off-the-ball running, and quick transitions, which Ronaldo is simply incompatible with. Tensions reportedly grew in training over Ronaldo’s lack of engagement in defensive drills and his habit of dropping deep into midfield spaces, disrupting the collective shape to hunt for touches.
“After the National Team Coach’s press conference, and following a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I made the decision to leave the National Team camp,” Ronaldo wrote in a statement after being left out entirely against Norway. “In due time, I will tell the truth to all Portuguese people about the reasons that motivated my departure from the national team, to which I have always dedicated myself. Now is the time to wish good luck to Portugal and to all my teammates, without exception.”
The ensuing media storm hijacked Portugal’s camp leaving teammates fielding questions about their captain’s bruised ego rather than their own football.
That the curtain falls in this manner is a tragedy for international football. His 146 goals, 234 appearances, alarming longevity and bordering-on-delusional drive made him more than a footballer. Even his detractors will concede, he’s earned the right to a fairytale farewell, which no doubt would have been a tearful, adoring lap of honour in Lisbon, where his career began over 20 years ago.
Now, though, he slips out through the side exit, some might say motivated by spite and wanting to save face. There will be no emotional testimonial or triumphant send-off, at least not yet. Cristiano Ronaldo may have spared himself the humiliation of being dropped, but in doing so, has traded in his hero’s goodbye.
