Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesus hold talks as Portugal tension eases before Denmark match

Cristiano Ronaldo’s dispute with Portugal manager Jesus appears to have eased after the pair held private talks, although Portuguese reports differ on whether the disagreement has been fully resolved.

The Al Nassr forward was reportedly angered after being left on the bench during Portugal’s 2-1 defeat by Norway in the Nations League. Although Jesus had apparently assured Ronaldo he would play for 30 minutes, the captain only left the substitutes’ bench to warm up.

The situation drew further attention on Tuesday when Ronaldo missed Portugal’s training session, returning to the team hotel to complete work in the gym.

Ronaldo was initially at Eleda Stadion, arriving half an hour before the scheduled start of training. However, after a brief conversation with Jesus, he decided to return to the hotel rather than take part in the session.

Jesus offered only a short response when asked about his discussions with the Portugal captain after training.

“I speak to Cristiano Ronaldo every day, every minute,” he said.

Portuguese sports newspapers reported on Tuesday evening that an emergency meeting had taken place between the manager and Ronaldo. Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca also changed his plans to visit the national team and try to contain the dispute.

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Portuguese newspaper O Jogo confirmed that Ronaldo had been deeply frustrated by the limited playing-time guarantee, particularly after he failed to come on during the Norway match. The report said the disagreement created tension around the squad before the two men spoke later.

A Bola said the conversation had gone well and left a positive impression.

“According to the information gathered by our newspaper, the conversation between the national team manager and the captain went well and left a positive impression,” it reported. “It is likely to reduce the tension that has existed since the Norway match.”

Record also said the atmosphere had become calmer and reported no punishment for Ronaldo. Its account said: “The captain and the manager spoke privately on Tuesday evening and reached an agreement over the controversy surrounding the Norway match.”

Football published a similar account but offered a more cautious assessment. It reported that Jesus and Ronaldo had spoken again at the hotel in Malmo on Tuesday evening, with the atmosphere surrounding their relationship noticeably calmer.

According to Football, the latest face-to-face meeting, the second in a longer series of discussions, helped reduce the tension. Some believe the dispute has lost its intensity, while others think it would be premature to say it is over. What was certain, the report said, was that the pair had moved closer after a difficult day marked by controversy.

Despite the calmer mood, Proenca maintained his decision to bring forward his trip to Copenhagen. He left Lisbon late on Tuesday night and was due to meet Jesus and Ronaldo on Wednesday to establish exactly what had happened and verify the accounts of the previous hours.

Portugal are preparing to face Denmark away on Thursday in the third round of the Nations League.