«Ronaldo has five Ballons d'Or, but does that factor into my decisions? No»

Jorge Jesus addressed the future management of Cristiano Ronaldo within the national team. The 72-year-old coach, however, did not reveal whether he plans to include the 41-year-old forward after the Nations League: «Cristiano has been called up. All selected players are at my disposal, meaning they can play. With games every three days, there will be changes. We will make decisions as we go.»

Jesus lauded Cristiano Ronaldo's impressive career but emphasized the non-negotiable importance of current performance: «His past doesn't count. It counts in terms of his entire history, but his performance, and that of everyone else, will dictate the decisions I have to make.»

«In this squad, there are 13 players who have already worked with me. It might not seem like it, but it helps; it was important in my selection. Cristiano is a player like any other; if he performs, he plays; if he doesn't, he doesn't. That's how I operate with everyone, it's not because he's Cristiano,» he stressed, before once again highlighting the captain's stature.

«Does he have a different status? Yes, his career is different; he has five Ballons d'Or. But does that factor into my decisions? No, but he is different from the others,» he reiterated.

Cristiano Ronaldo is 21 goals shy of reaching 1,000 in his career. When asked if he would like the Portuguese forward to achieve this milestone for Portugal in the Nations League final, Jesus deflected the question to... Saudi Arabia: «I believe he'll score his thousandth goal more for Al Nassr than for the national team.»