Other times Ronaldo will not play — Ex Benfica president tells Jorge Jesus how to deal with superstar forward

Former Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira has backed newly appointed Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus to succeed, while noting that veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo must accept a reduced role moving forward.

The 71-year-old manager was appointed to lead the national team following the departure of Roberto Martinez.

Martinez resigned following a 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign that ended in the Round of 16. Portugal were eliminated after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Spain.

The Portuguese Football Federation secured Jesus as his successor, turning to an experienced manager who recently won the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr.

Vieira, who worked closely with Jesus during his presidency at Benfica, expressed confidence in the appointment.

"I know him profoundly well. He is a super professional. I'm not the only one saying it, mainly the players who worked with him, everyone says he is," Vieira explained.

"And I think it's a right choice. Having a Portuguese coach again is very important. The last one we had was Fernando Santos, now we have Jorge and I think he has all the capacity to do a job that makes us all happy," he added.

Fernando Santos previously led the national team during an eight-year tenure between 2014 and 2022, securing the UEFA European Championship (2016) and the UEFA Nations League (2018/19).

The appointment of Jesus raised questions regarding the future of 41-year-old captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo recently worked under Jesus at Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, where the pair secured the domestic league title during the 2025/26 campaign.

Despite their recent partnership, Vieira suggested that the forward will no longer be an undisputed starter for the national team.

"I think he knows how to manage that situation and will know how to manage it. He has a great relationship with Ronaldo, for sure. And Ronaldo also knows that the end is already being looked at."

"He will have to decide and, sometimes, maybe he will play, other times he will not play, and so on," Vieira concluded.

Jesus addressed the situation during his official unveiling, praising Ronaldo as a symbol of Portuguese football and insisting he does not expect any problems managing the veteran forward.