Ronaldo slaps Jesus three times: fiery behind-the-scenes details behind the historic decision

Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to end his international career did not come as a complete shock inside the Portugal camp. Fresh behind-the-scenes details have revealed a sharp tension in his relationship with coach Jorge Jesus, one that reached the point where the Al-Nassr captain ignored his coach's calls three times before announcing his retirement.

According to a source close to Jesus speaking to the Saudi newspaper "Arriyadiyah", the row did not blow up out of nowhere. It escalated across a series of meetings, with Ronaldo digging in and refusing to accept a place on the substitutes' bench, just as the coach was preparing to reshuffle roles within the squad to fit his vision for the next phase.

The source explained that Ronaldo showed no willingness to accept a role different from his usual standing. He insisted during his meetings with Jesus that he would not come on as a substitute for any player. The coach, meanwhile, was clear that the veteran star's role might change as his age advances and his technical options evolve.

Tensions ramped up further once Ronaldo realised Jesus was leaning towards handing Gonçalo Ramos priority as the main striker. That would have made the Al-Nassr captain's task of holding on to his starting place far harder, and might even have left him outside the coach's plans in some matches.

Read also: "Like a ghost": Ronaldo ignores Jesus in farewell week

Ronaldo never told Jesus directly that he intended to retire from international football, the source revealed. Instead, he ignored the coach's calls three times without answering, leaving Jesus to sense the player was about to take this step even without any official word on the decision.

Earlier developments had already pointed to how hard a Ronaldo return would be amid the ongoing crisis, despite Jesus's wish to bring him back. The coach held firm to the rules and conditions he had set for running the team, and those terms sat at the heart of the dispute.

Signs of a fracturing relationship had surfaced before, with reports circulating about the difficulty of Ronaldo returning to the national team during the current period. The door, though, had remained open to an understanding that would end the crisis and bring the Portugal captain back into the fold.

In the end, the all-time top scorer made up his own mind. He announced his international retirement on Thursday through a video clip posted on his "Instagram" and "X" accounts, drawing the curtain on a 23-year career in his national team's shirt, during which Portugal enjoyed one of the most glorious periods in its history.