Jorge Jesus Names First Portugal Squad After Ronaldo Exit

Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has named his first Portugal squad since Cristiano Ronaldo retired from international football, handing debut call-ups to Monza striker Gustavo Varela and FC Porto right-back Alberto Costa.

Jesus said on Friday he had expected Ronaldo to return to the national team despite their highly publicised rift, but respected the veteran forward’s decision to retire. Ronaldo, 41, announced on Thursday that he would not play for Portugal again, bringing the curtain down on a record-breaking international career after a bitter end.

“Of course I thought he would come back, of course I thought I would call him up, of course I thought I would speak with him, but you have to respect him,” Jesus told reporters after naming his squad for upcoming Nations League matches against Denmark and Wales. “He decided that it was the moment to leave the national team.”

How Ronaldo’s Portugal career ended

Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal in 2003 and went on to play a world record 234 times for his country, scoring 146 goals. But his speed and edge have been blunted with age, and he fell out with Jesus at the end of September.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner accused the coach of broken promises after asking him to warm up during a match against Norway without bringing him on. Ronaldo immediately left the team camp and was handed a 30-day suspension and token fine.

He apologised, and it was rumoured he intended to return to the Portugal fold, but Ronaldo instead said he had played his last match for his country.

“Sooner or later it had to happen. He felt it was the best moment to leave, and we have to respect that, while never forgetting what he represented for Portugal,” Jesus said.

The 72-year-old coach, who previously managed Ronaldo at Saudi club Al-Nassr, said the interests of the national team had always been his top priority. “All my decisions were made with the team in mind,” he said. “I do not feel guilty in any way about his departure.”

Who is in the first Portugal squad

Varela, currently Serie A’s leading scorer with Monza, is the headline name among the new faces, along with Porto right-back Costa. Nuno Mendes and Francisco Conceicao miss out through injury.

Uncapped teenagers Rodrigo Mora and Geovany Quenda return to the squad, as does Club Brugge striker Carlos Forbs, who made his debut last year. The mix of youth and experience shows Jesus is using the final group games to look at the next generation now that the team’s record scorer has gone.

Portugal, who have already secured their place in the Nations League quarter-finals, host Denmark in Braga on November 14 before travelling to Wales three days later. With qualification already settled, the two matches double as auditions for players who will carry the team into the post-Ronaldo era.

Life after Ronaldo for Portugal

No team replaces a player with 234 caps and 146 goals in one squad announcement. The numbers alone show the scale of the gap: Ronaldo scored in every major tournament Portugal played for two decades, and his presence shaped how opponents set up against them.

Jesus now has to build an attack that shares the goals around. Varela’s form in Italy earns him a first look, while the return of Mora, Quenda and Forbs points to a younger front line. The defence has fewer questions to answer, though the absence of Mendes through injury leaves a hole at left-back for the Denmark game.

The retirement also closes one of football’s most-watched player-coach rifts. Jesus managed Ronaldo at Al-Nassr before taking the Portugal job, and the Norway incident turned a working relationship into a public row. That Jesus still expected Ronaldo to return, and says he feels no guilt over the departure, suggests the coach believes the split was a football decision, not a personal one.

Portugal’s next chapter begins in Braga on November 14. Ronaldo’s retirement announcement ended an era; the squad Jesus has named shows how the team plans to move on. Other national teams are going through the same process of renewal, as Zidane’s second France squad showed this week, while Jobe Bellingham’s maiden England call-up underlined how quickly the next generation is arriving. Elsewhere in sport, Alcaraz saved two match points to reach the Paris Masters semi-final. The focus now shifts from the farewell to the football, starting with Denmark.

Who got a first Portugal call-up under Jorge Jesus?

Monza striker Gustavo Varela, currently Serie A’s leading scorer, and FC Porto right-back Alberto Costa both received their first call-ups in Jorge Jesus’s first squad after Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement.

Why did Cristiano Ronaldo retire from Portugal?

Ronaldo, 41, announced he would not play for Portugal again after falling out with coach Jorge Jesus at the end of September. He had accused Jesus of broken promises, left the team camp and served a 30-day suspension before deciding to retire.

When does Portugal play next?

Portugal host Denmark in Braga on November 14 and travel to Wales three days later in their final Nations League group-stage fixtures. They have already secured a place in the quarter-finals.

Who is Jorge Jesus?

Jesus is the 72-year-old Portuguese coach who previously managed Cristiano Ronaldo at Saudi club Al-Nassr before taking the Portugal job. He named his first squad after Ronaldo retired from international football.