Cristiano Ronaldo is back among the goals for Al-Nassr, and Portugal want their captain back. Despite the disciplinary proceedings over his departure from the national team camp, federation president Pedro Proença and coach Jorge Jesus have both explicitly said they want him to return. Ronaldo has also made clear that he remains willing to represent Portugal once the matter is resolved, but with November’s fixtures approaching, will he answer the call?
Ronaldo returned to club football on Friday, October 9, scoring the opening goal in the 23rd minute of Al-Nassr’s 3-0 victory over Diriyah Club. It was his first appearance since leaving Portugal’s national team camp during the October international break, and his 980th career goal brought the milestone of 1,000 closer as the dispute over his international future continued. Al-Nassr supporters welcomed him with a large banner reading “Greatness is earned” and chanted his name during the seventh minute, offering a show of support while his relationship with Portugal remained uncertain. The Portuguese Football Federation had initiated disciplinary proceedings on Friday, but announced the case publicly on Saturday, classifying it as urgent and referring it to the Disciplinary Investigation Committee. The federation said Ronaldo had initially been subject to an automatic provisional suspension after leaving the camp without permission, before a separate, non-automatic preventive suspension was ordered as the proceedings began. However, the public tone changed within hours, when Proença made clear that the federation wanted its captain back for the November international break. “The federation, the coach and all of Ronaldo's teammates are of one mind, we want Ronaldo back,” Proença said, in comments relayed by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano. “I expect Ronaldo to return during the international break next November, and he is also eager to return, he is the best player of all time,” the federation president added.
The fallout began when Ronaldo left Portugal’s camp on September 30 after a dispute with Jesus over his role in the team. Ronaldo had expected to play against Norway, according to his account, but remained an unused substitute despite warming up, and he subsequently accused the coach of breaking his word and failing to explain the situation honestly.
Ronaldo later published a lengthy statement, initially released to Portuguese media, setting out his version of events and explaining why he felt trust had been broken. He apologised to his teammates for leaving the camp, accepted responsibility for his actions and said he was prepared to face whatever disciplinary punishment the federation considered appropriate. Crucially, he did not present the incident as an international retirement announcement. Instead, Ronaldo said he wanted to keep representing Portugal once any suspension had been served, provided he remained fit and continued playing for his club. “So, if I am physically fit, playing with my team, and hoping to score goals, after my suspension period ends, I will be available, as I have always been, to compete and win with our national team. This, believe me, is the absolute truth,” Ronaldo wrote. Jesus has also now made his position clear, indicating that the disagreement will not prevent a possible recall. His earlier response to Ronaldo’s statement was restrained, saying he had read the message and had nothing further to add, but he has since aligned himself with the federation’s conciliatory approach. “I don't know. I don't know what Cristiano might decide…Since nothing extraordinary happened that affected my authority as a coach, for me, Cristiano will be eligible for the next call-up [November] if he is playing for Al Nassr, provided that he wants to return to the national team,” Jesus said. The coach has also characterised the tension as a misunderstanding, making clear that Ronaldo would remain welcome if he wished to return and met the necessary sporting requirements.
Ronaldo has now done precisely what he said would be necessary for a return: he has resumed playing for Al-Nassr and continued scoring. His goal against Diriyah took his career tally to 980, leaving him 20 short of a landmark that could become one of the defining moments of his final years in football.
Portuguese journalist Miguel Pereira previously told talkSPORT that Ronaldo wanted to score his 1,000th career goal in Portugal colours rather than for Al-Nassr, giving the milestone a potential international significance. If that ambition remains unchanged, November could offer him another opportunity to move closer to the target with his country.
Portugal have already secured their place in the Nations League quarter-finals after winning their opening four matches. They face Denmark on November 14 before travelling to Wales three days later, and all eyes are now on whether Ronaldo will be back in the squad. The disciplinary proceedings are still ongoing, but with federation president Pedro Proença and coach Jorge Jesus both making it clear that they want Ronaldo back, the case may not prove to be a major obstacle to his return. After all, if Portugal are ready to welcome their captain back, the bigger question is whether Ronaldo is ready to answer the call.
