Proença backs Cristiano Ronaldo, confident he'll patch things up with Jorge Jesus

The words were spoken out loud at Funchal city hall, the very city where Cristiano Ronaldo was born, and that was no accident. Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), chose that stage to make clear that the captain remains untouchable for the national team project, despite the exit he made a few weeks ago.

The mess dates back to the last international window. Ronaldo, 41, left Portugal's camp following a clash with head coach Jorge Jesus over a lack of playing time. It wasn't just a passing fit of anger: the FPF ended up handing him a provisional suspension, though no final punishment has been decided yet.

What's striking is that Jesus and Ronaldo are far from strangers. They worked together last season at Al Nassr, where the coach managed him and picked up the Saudi Pro League title along the way. That history makes the rift even more surprising, and it also explains Proença's optimism that the two can work out their differences.

We're in the home of Portuguese soccer's greatest asset: Cristiano Ronaldo, our captain. Our captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, is one of our key pieces.Pedro Proença

So what exactly happened to make Ronaldo leave? By his own account, laid out in a statement released shortly after he departed the camp, Jorge Jesus "broke his word" to him. That's a serious accusation coming from the national team's all time captain. But in that same statement, Ronaldo also left the door open: he said he would accept whatever sanction the FPF decided on, and more importantly, that he still wants to play for Portugal.

That detail matters when trying to understand why Proença speaks with such confidence. This isn't a player who shut the door by his own choice, but someone who, even in the middle of the conflict, keeps showing he's willing to come back.

The schedule, in fact, doesn't leave much room for things to cool off. Portugal has two UEFA Nations League matches coming up in November, against Denmark and Wales. Those are the next dates when, in theory, it could be settled whether Ronaldo pulls on his country's jersey again or whether the rift with Jesus drags on a bit longer.

For now, the only confirmed facts are the provisional suspension and the lack of a final ruling from the federation. Everything else, statements back and forth, is in the hands of two men who've already won things together and now need to find a way to see eye to eye again before those two crucial matches arrive.