Portugal's federation demands humility from Cristiano Ronaldo

In an interview given this Tuesday to the Rádio Renascença station, Gilberto Madaíl, former president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), asked Cristiano Ronaldo to show humility after his departure from Portugal's national team camp last Wednesday, when the 41-year‑old striker left training, according to a Getty Images and EFE photo.

Madaíl led the FPF for fifteen years, from 1996 to 2011. During that period, the organization became a key piece in the striker's international career. His experience leads him to highlight the influence the Federation had on Ronaldo's achievements.

In the interview, Madaíl said: “Ronaldo should have the humility to acknowledge that it was also thanks to the Federation … that he achieved what he has, all the prestige he enjoys today.” He added that recognition is a moral obligation of the player.

The former president lamented that “the country does not understand” the controversy and recalled the support the Federation gave Ronaldo after his father's death, when the then‑coach Luiz Filipe Scolari pampered him. According to Madaíl, everyone in the organization treated the striker with special consideration throughout his career.

Reactions from the leadership

Fernando Gomes, Madaíl's successor at the FPF and president from 2011 to 2025, refused to “interfere” in the matter. In statements to the local press, he expressed his wish for the situation to be resolved satisfactorily for all Portuguese.

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The president of the Portuguese Olympic Committee also expressed hope, saying that all Portuguese long for a solution that satisfies the country and the national team.

Details of Ronaldo's departure

Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, abruptly left the camp last Wednesday after a fallout with the current manager Jorge Jesus. The split occurred after Ronaldo was not included in the starting eleven for the Nations League match against Norway in Oslo, played on September 27, which ended 1‑2.

Jesus explained that the cause was that the Saudi Al Nassr striker had been warming up for half an hour and, without being substituted, did not take the field. According to the coach, that situation generated the player's frustration.

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Madaíl also praised the current leader Pedro Proença for his ability to balance positions within the Federation. At the same time, he criticized Jorge Jesus for promising minutes to Ronaldo, calling it “an excessive favour” before a third or fourth match.