Ronaldo's Mother Breaks Silence on Son's Portugal National Team Rift

Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, the mother of football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, has shared insights into a heartfelt discussion she had with her son following his controversial departure from the Portugal national team camp. Ronaldo's exit stemmed from a reported disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus.

The incident occurred days after Ronaldo was an unused substitute during Portugal's 2-1 victory over Norway in Oslo on September 27. Ms. Aveiro expressed profound shock and sadness over her son's decision to leave the training camp, admitting that the controversy brought her to tears.

Speaking to Portuguese magazine TV 7 Dias, Dolores, 71, revealed that she advised Cristiano to remain composed and assured him of her unwavering support. She lamented, "I feel sad, it's normal. It was a shock, my son could have left through the main door, and instead he left through the small door, but it's okay, God will take care of it... I cried a little. It's good too, to let go. We have to turn this around."

She further recounted details of their initial phone conversation after news of his walk-out broke. Ms. Aveiro believes her son is not receiving the recognition he deserves, considering his immense contributions to his country. She quoted Ronaldo telling her, "Mom, don't worry, I'll tell you the truth when we're all together." Her response was, "OK, son, get over it." She added, "I told him to calm down, but well, his head decided to do that. We'll see. I gave him all my support; it was no use."

Ms. Aveiro emphasized, "But it's okay; he gave a lot to Portugal, so he's always there. He was always Portugal's hero. They're not valuing him as they should. They don't value Cristiano. He's the Portuguese player we have."

The dispute originally surfaced when Ronaldo left the Portugal training camp ahead of their Nations League fixtures against Denmark. The 41-year-old forward claimed that Jorge Jesus had failed to uphold an agreement regarding his playing time during the preceding match against Norway, where he was supposedly promised approximately 30 minutes on the field but remained on the bench despite warming up. Ronaldo also alleged that a subsequent agreement on how to publicly address the matter was not honored. While Jesus has challenged aspects of Ronaldo’s account, the star player has affirmed his availability to represent Portugal and his readiness to accept any disciplinary actions resulting from his departure.