Instead of Jesus: a new coach for Portugal in Ronaldo's farewell match!
"The Don" has brought an end to a legendary career with his national team.
Cristiano Ronaldo will have a new coach on the bench for his farewell match with Portugal after announcing his international retirement, according to a press report.
The 41-year-old stunned the football world yesterday with his decision to walk away from the national team, following a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus.
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He won't bow out straight away. Ronaldo is set to play one final match to close an international career spanning more than two decades, a run that brought 146 goals in 234 appearances.
But Jesus won't be the man in the dugout for that send-off, according to a report by "ESPN", with the bitter row between the pair ruling him out.
Former Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari could step back into the role instead. He is the man who handed Ronaldo his first international cap in 2003.
The two built a close bond during Ronaldo's early years with the national team, particularly after Scolari supported him through the death of his father when he was twenty.
Another former boss, Fernando Santos, has been ruled out of a return for "the Don's" farewell, according to the report.
Ronaldo worked under Santos between 2014 and 2022 and lifted the Euro 2016 title alongside him. The relationship soured, though, after the coach left him on the bench during the 2022 World Cup.
