Cristiano Ronaldo announces his retirement from the national team; coach Gabriel Jesus says he was unaware of the move beforehand.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old Portuguese football legend, announced his retirement from the national team via social media. This decision came as a surprise, catching the national team coaching staff off guard, just one day before Portugal announced its new UEFA Nations League squad.

At Friday's press conference, Portugal's head coach Jorge Jesus stated that he had not received prior notification: "I found out at the same time as everyone else; I knew nothing about it beforehand. He has been playing and scoring recently and was originally included in my squad for this tournament."

Cristiano Ronaldo had just completed a 30-day internal suspension with the national team. In September, after learning that he would not be able to start in the match against Denmark, Ronaldo left the training camp without permission and later accused Jesus of breaking his promise, but at the time he emphasized that he would never retire from the national team.

When pressed by the media about the previous dispute between the two, Jesus responded seriously: "All my decisions are made with the team first. As head coach, I must stick to what is in the best interests of the whole team, and I have a clear conscience about all my decisions."

In response to the legendary captain's passing, Portuguese Football Federation President Pedro Proenza told the media that a tribute event would be planned for him: "No tribute can fully express the nation's gratitude for his enormous contributions."

"The best way to pay tribute to him is to learn from his spirit of always pursuing victory and daring to be the best in the world. Thank you for everything you have done, captain. The national team will always be your home."

Image source: Internet