Jorge Jesus says Ronaldo has no guaranteed starting spot

While Cristiano Ronaldo remains in the squad of the Portuguese national team as the record goal scorer, new coach Jorge Jesus makes it clear that his name and his status do not guarantee an automatic place in the starting eleven. He emphasized that the selection depends solely on the performance shown.

Selection based on performance

Jorge Jesus stressed that neither the name nor the previous achievements decide the lineup. “If he shows the appropriate level, he will play. If not, he will not play. That’s how I treat everyone,” he explained at the press conference.

At the same time, the Portuguese admitted that Ronaldo enjoys a special status within the squad. “He has five Ballon d’Or awards, but does that influence my decisions? No. Not at all,” Jesus added.

Cristiano Ronaldo misses the shot one metre under Jorge Jesus

Ronaldo remains the most successful scorer in the history of the Portuguese men's national team with 146 goals and has scored a total of 979 goals in his professional career.

When asked whether he could reach the 1,000-goal mark, Jesus replied: “I think it is more likely that he will score his 1,000th goal for Al-Nassr than for the Portuguese national team.”

Thus Jesus shows that even a player with Ronaldo‑Status only starts if he reaches the required performance level.