Tell them I am same level as Pele and Maradona — Ronaldo makes strange demand

Cristiano Ronaldo has drawn online mockery after releasing a statement revealing he instructed Portugal manager Jorge Jesus to publicly compare his stature to Pelé and Diego Maradona.

​The 41-year-old forward released the statement on Tuesday, October 6, to clarify the circumstances surrounding his departure from the national team camp in Copenhagen on September 30.

​Ronaldo admitted he provided Jesus with a specific eight-point document to read during a press conference to manage the public fallout.

​The most glaring directive was Point 6, which demanded the 72-year-old manager state: "I made a mistake by putting someone of the stature of Pelé or Maradona on to warm up and then not putting him in the game. If it were today I would not do it."

​The revelation generated immediate pushback across social media, with supporters expressing incredulity at the forward's demands.

​Fans mocked the Al Nassr captain, citing the scripted apology as a prime example of unchecked ego and a lack of self-awareness. 

Observers noted that forcing a manager to elevate him to the echelon of Pelé and Maradona, while presenting the demand as the manager's own organic thoughts, fundamentally undermined Ronaldo's attempt to repair his public image.

​The statement provides documented confirmation of the touchline friction that defined Portugal's international window.

​The dispute originated on September 27 during Portugal's 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory against Norway in Oslo. 

According to Ronaldo, Jesus broke a private agreement to play him for 30 minutes, leaving the captain to warm up on the touchline before ultimately keeping him as an unused substitute. Frustrated by the selection decision, Ronaldo failed to greet the travelling supporters at full-time.

​When Jesus deviated from the eight-point script during his post-match press conference, Ronaldo determined that the manager had broken his word a second time. 

Aggrieved by the comments, the forward stormed out of the camp and returned to Riyadh to resume training with Al Nassr.