Portugal Hires New Coach Jorge Jesus, Who Plans To Discuss Ronaldo’s Future

Portugal announced Jorge Jesus as its new coach on Friday following its disappointing run at the World Cup. The 71-year-old Jesus has coached several Portuguese clubs, including Benfica and Sporting Lisbon. His last job was with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Arabian league, where he coached Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo. The experienced Portuguese coach will replace Spaniard Roberto Martinez after Portugal lost 1-0 to Spain in the round-of-16 of the World Cup. The Portuguese national team wrote on X on Friday that “A new journey begins today. Welcome to the National Team, Mister Jorge Jesus.” The hiring of Jesus as coach came two days after the Portuguese federation said it was parting ways with Martínez. Portugal’s underwhelming run at the World Cup sparked a debate among fans and media regarding the role of the 41-year-old Ronaldo. Many questioned Martínez still playing him major minutes at striker and focusing the team’s attack on trying to find the aging scorer. Ronaldo, the leading scorer for men’s international soccer with 146 goals, said that this was his final World Cup. But the global star has yet to say when he plans to retire from international play. He will be 43 by the time the 2028 European Championship, the next major tournament, rolls around. Jesus, who called Ronaldo a “symbol” of Portuguese sports on Friday, said that he still needs to talk with him about his future. “That’s a conversation we’re both going to have. What does he want to do for the future of his career?” Jesus told reporters at his presentation that was held shortly after the announcement of his hiring. Ronaldo is under contract with his Saudi club through 2027. Whether Ronaldo continues to play for his nation, Jesus inherits a talent-packed team, especially at midfield with Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and João Neves. Reporting by The Associated Press.