Portugal coach Jorge Jesus said he learned of Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement from international football at the same time as the public, stating he had no prior notice from the 41-year-old forward.
Ronaldo announced his decision in an Instagram video on Thursday, the day before Jesus was due to name his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Jesus said Ronaldo had been on his squad list and was in form for Al-Nassr.
"I found out when we all did. Until then, I knew nothing about it. He was playing, he was scoring goals; he was one of the players on my squad list," Jesus said.
The retirement follows a 30-day suspension from international duty that did not include any national team matches. Ronaldo left the Portugal camp in September after being told he would not start against Denmark, later claiming Jesus had "broken his word." He accepted punishment for his premature departure but at that time said he would not retire.
Jesus became visibly annoyed when pressed about the dispute, insisting his decisions were made with the team in mind. He said he had not contacted Ronaldo since the announcement.
Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca pledged to honour Ronaldo, who holds the men's world records for international goals (146) and appearances (234) since his 2003 debut, and helped Portugal win Euro 2016.
