Cristiano Ronaldo latest: Fresh update on Portugal future as legendary forward has big decision to make

Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has opened the door for Cristiano Ronaldo to resume his international career.

The legendary 41-year-old forward opted to leave the Portugal squad last week after he was an unused substitute for their 2-1 Nations League win over Norway on September 27, before being told that he would not start the next match against Denmark.

After departing the national team camp, Ronaldo wrote on social media: "In due course, I will tell the truth to all the Portuguese people about my reasons for leaving the national team, to which I have always been dedicated."

A fallout between Ronaldo and new Portugal boss Jesus ultimately led to the former’s decision to pull out of international duty, raising questions over whether the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has now played his final game for his country.

The Al-Nassr star, who is chasing 1,000 career goals, holds the record for the most international caps (234), most international goals (146) and most international victories (146) in the men’s game, while he has also won Euro 2016 and two Nations League titles with Portugal.

Ronaldo offered chance to resume Portugal career

Portugal managed to win without Ronaldo once again on Sunday, as Jesus’s side secured another 2-1 success over Norway in their fourth League A Group D fixture, preserving their 100% record and all but securing their spot in the quarter-finals.

After the match, Jesus stated that the ball is now in Ronaldo’s court over whether he wishes to continue his international career with Portugal under his management.

Speaking at a post-match press conference, Jesus said: "If [Ronaldo] wants to, he'll return to the national team. We can talk before the next call-up, but Cris is the one who's going to decide.

"Cristiano should end his time in the national team the way he wants, he's the one who will decide how he wants it.

"In my first call-up, I said, 'I need you, I need you to be close to me, playing or not playing, I need you.' And now I'm saying the same thing."

Ronaldo-Jesus rift “was a misunderstanding that needs to be resolved internally"

Portugal Football Federation president Pedro Proenca, who held a meeting with both Ronaldo and Jesus before Ronaldo left the squad, has also shared his thoughts on the forward’s international future.

He told reporters: "We are talking about the greatest player of all time, a player who has given more than two decades to Portuguese soccer.

"He will always be part of this squad if he is technically fit to play. Cristiano knows this. He knows that is the sentiment. What happened was a misunderstanding that needs to be resolved internally."

Proenca added: "Ronaldo is a symbol of our country. He is a Portuguese icon, an absolutely extraordinary player who could have ended his international career after the World Cup, but chose not to out of love for the national team."

With Jesus seemingly prepared to call up Ronaldo for November’s international break, the iconic No.7 now has six weeks to make a decision on his Portugal future before their next Nations League fixture at home to Denmark on November 14.